THE   ALHAMBRA 


ffulton 


THE   WORKS    OF 

WASHINGTON    IRVING 

THE  ALHAMBRA 


NEW  YORK 

THE  CENTURY   CO. 

1910 


Stack 
Annex 


PREFACE    TO    THE    REVISED    EDITION 

ROUGH  draughts  of  some  of  the  following  tales  and 
essays  were  actually  written  during  a  residence  in  the 
Alhambra;  others  were  subsequently  added,  founded 
on  notes  and  observations  made  there.  Care  was  taken 
to  maintain  local  coloring  and  verisimilitude;  so  that 
the  whole  might  present  a  faithful  and  living  picture 
of  that  microcosm,  that  singular  little  world  into  which 
I  had  been  fortuitously  thrown;  and  about  which  the 
external  world  had  a  very  imperfect  idea.  It  was  my 
endeavor  scrupulously  to  depict  its  half  Spanish,  half 
Oriental  character;  its  mixture  of  the  heroic,  the 
poetic,  and  the  grotesque  ;  to  revive  the  traces  of  grace 
and  beauty  fast  fading  from  its  walls;  to  record  the 
regal  and  chivalrous  traditions  concerning  those  who 
once  trod  its  courts;  and  the  whimsical  and  supersti 
tious  legends  of  the  motley  race  now  burrowing  among 
its  ruins. 

The  papers  thus  roughly  sketched  out  lay  for  three 
or  four  years  in  my  portfolio,  until  I  found  myself  in 
London,  in  1832,  on  the  eve  of  returning  to  the  United 
States.  I  then  endeavored  to  arrange  them  for  the 
press,  but  the  preparations  for  departure  did  not  allow 
sufficient  leisure.  Several  were  thrown  aside  as  incom 
plete  ;  the  rest  were  put  together  somewhat  hastily  and 
in  rather  a  crude  and  chaotic  manner. 

In  the  present  edition  I  have  revised  and  rearranged 
the  whole  work,  enlarged  some  parts,  and  added  others, 
including  the  papers  originally  omitted  ;  and  have  thus 
endeavored  to  render  it  more  complete  and  more 
worthy  of  the  indulgent  reception  with  which  it  has 
been  favored.  ^  -r 

SUNNYSIDE  1851. 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

THE  JOURNEY i 

PALACE  OF  THE  ALHAMBRA 33 

IMPORTANT  NEGOTIATIONS.  —  THE  AUTHOR  SUCCEEDS  TO 

THE  THRONE  OF  BOABDIL 47 

INHABITANTS  OF  THE  ALHAMBRA 54 

THE  HALL  OF  AMBASSADORS 58 

THE  JESUITS'  LIBRARY 64 

ALHAMAR,  THE  FOUNDER  OF  THE  ALHAMBRA 65 

YUSEF  ABUL  HAGIG,  THE  FINISHER  OF  THE  ALHAMBRA  ...  72 

THE  MYSTERIOUS  CHAMBERS 76 

PANORAMA  FROM  THE  TOWER  OF  COMARES 85 

THE  TRUANT 92 

THE  BALCONY 95 

THE  ADVENTURE  OF  THE  MASON 101 

THE  COURT  OF  LIONS 105 

THE  ABENCERRAGES 112 

MEMENTOS  OF  BOABDIL 124 

PUBLIC  FETES  OF  GRANADA 129 

LOCAL  TRADITIONS 137 

THE  HOUSE  OF  THE  WEATHERCOCK 139 

LEGEND  OF  THE  ARABIAN  ASTROLOGER 142 

VISITORS  TO  THE  ALHAMBRA 162 

RELICS  AND  GENEALOGIES 167 

THE  GENERALIFE 170 

LEGEND  OF  PRINCE  AHMED  AL  KAMEL  ;  OR,  THE  PILGRIM  OF 

LOVE 172 

A  RAMBLE  AMONG  THE  HILLS 205 

LEGEND  OF  THE  MOOR'S  LEGACY 214 

THE  TOWER  OF  LAS  INFANTAS 236 

LEGEND  OF  THE  THREE  BEAUTIFUL  PRINCESSES 237 

LEGEND  OF  THE  ROSE  OF  THE  ALHAMBRA 262 

THE  VETERAN 279 

THE  GOVERNOR  AND  THE  NOTARY  .  281 


viii  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

GOVERNOR  MANCO  AND  THE  SOLDIER 288 

A  FETE  IN  THE  ALHAMBRA 306 

LEGEND  OF  THE  Two  DISCREET  STATUES 311 

THE  CRUSADE  or  THE  GRAND  MASTER  OF  ALCANTARA   .   .  330 

SPANISH  ROMANCE 338 

LEGEND  OF  DON  MUNIO  SANCHO  DE  HINOJOSA 341 

POETS  AND  POETRY  OF  MOSLEM  ANDALUS 347 

AN  EXPEDITION  IN  QUEST  OF  A  DIPLOMA 355 

THE  LEGEND  OF  THE  ENCHANTED  SOLDIER 358 

THE  AUTHOR'S  FAREWELL  TO  GRANADA 373 


THE    ALHAMBRA 


THE  JOURNEY 

IN  the  spring  of  1829,  the  author  of  this  work,  whom 
curiosity  had  brought  into  Spain,  made  a  rambling  ex 
pedition  from  Seville  to  Granada  in  company  with  a 
friend,  a  member  of  the  Russian  Embassy  at  Madrid. 
Accident  had  thrown  us  together  from  distant  regions 
of  the  globe  and  a  similarity  of  taste  led  us  to  wander 
together  among  the  romantic  mountains  of  Andalusia. 
Should  these  pages  meet  his  eye,  wherever  thrown  by 
the  duties  of  his  station,  whether  mingling  in  the 
pageantry  of  courts,  or  meditating  on  the  truer  glories 
of  nature,  may  they  recall  the  scenes  of  our  adventur 
ous  companionship,  and  with  them  the  recollection  of 
one,  in  whom  neither  time  nor  distance  will  obliterate 
the  remembrance  of  his  gentleness  and  worth.1 

And  here,  before  setting  forth,  let  me  indulge  in  a 
few  previous  remarks  on  Spanish  scenery  and  Spanish 
travelling.  Many  are  apt  to  picture  Spain  to  their 
imaginations  as  a  soft  southern  region,  decked  out 
with  the  luxuriant  charms  of  voluptuous  Italy.  On 
the  contrary,  though  there  are  exceptions  in  some  of 
the  maritime  provinces,  yet,  for  the  greater  part,  it  is 
a  stern,  melancholy  country,  with  rugged  mountains, 
and  long  sweeping  plains,  destitute  of  trees,  and  in 
describably  silent  and  lonesome,  partaking  of  the 
savage  and  solitary  character  of  Africa.  What  adds 

1  NOTE  TO  THE  REVISED  EDITION.  —  The  Author  feels  at  liberty 
to  mention  that  his  travelling  companion  was  the  Prince  Dol- 
gorouki,  at  present  Russian  minister  at  the  Court  of  Persia. 

z 


2  THE  ALHAMBRA 

to  this  silence  and  loneliness,  is  the  absence  of  singing- 
birds,  a  natural  consequence  of  the  want  of  groves  and 
hedges.  The  vulture  and  the  eagle  are  seen  wheeling 
about  the  mountain-cliffs,  and  soaring  over  the  plains, 
and  groups  of  shy  bustards  stalk  about  the  heaths; 
but  the  myriads  of  smaller  birds,  which  animate  the 
whole  face  of  other  countries,  are  met  with  in  but  few 
provinces  in  Spain,  and  in  those  chiefly  among  the 
orchards  and  gardens  which  surround  the  habitations 
of  man. 

In  the  interior  provinces  the  traveller  occasionally 
traverses  great  tracts  cultivated  with  grain  as  far  as 
the  eye  can  reach,  waving  at  times  with  verdure,  at 
other  times  naked  and  sunburnt,  but  he  looks  round 
in  vain  for  the  hand  that  has  tilled  the  soil.  At  length 
he  perceives  some  village  on  a  steep  hill,  or  rugged 
crag,  with  mouldering  battlements  and  ruined  watch- 
tower:  a  stronghold,  in  old  times,  against  civil  war, 
or  Moorish  inroad ;  for  the  custom  among  the  peas 
antry  of  congregating  together  for  mutual  protection 
is  still  kept  up  in  most  parts  of  Spain,  in  consequence 
of  the  maraudings  of  roving  freebooters. 

But  though  a  great  part  of  Spain  is  deficient  in  the 
garniture  of  groves  and  forests,  and  the  softer  charms 
of  ornamental  cultivation,  yet  its  scenery  is  noble  in 
its  severity  and  in  unison  with  the  attributes  of  its 
people ;  and  I  think  that  I  better  understand  the  proud, 
hardy,  frugal,  and  abstemious  Spaniard,  his  manly 
defiance  of  hardships,  and  contempt  of  effeminate  in 
dulgences,  since  I  have  seen  the  country  he  inhabits. 

There  is  something,  too,  in  the  sternly  simple  fea 
tures  of  the  Spanish  landscape,  that  impresses  on  the 
soul  a  feeling  of  sublimity.  The  immense  plains  of 
the  Castiles  and  of  La  Mancha,  extending  as  far  as 
the  eye  can  reach,  derive  an  interest  from  their  very 
nakedness  and  immensity,  and  possess,  in  some  degree, 
the  solemn  grandeur  of  the  ocean.  In  ranging  over 


THE  JOURNEY  3 

these  boundless  wastes,  the  eye  catches  sight  here  and 
there  of  a  straggling  herd  of  cattle  attended  by  a  lonely 
herdsman,  motionless  as  a  statue,  with  his  long  slender 
pike  tapering  up  like  a  lance  into  the  air;  or  beholds 
a  long  train  of  mules  slowly  moving  along  the  waste 
like  a  train  of  camels  in  the  desert ;  or  a  single  horse 
man,  armed  with  blunderbuss  and  stiletto,  and  prowl 
ing  over  the  plain.  Thus  the  country,  the  habits,  the 
very  looks  of  the  people,  have  something  of  the  Ara 
bian  character.  The  general  insecurity  of  the  coun 
try  is  evinced  in  the  universal  use  of  weapons.  The 
herdsman  in  the  field,  the  shepherd  in  the  plain,  has 
his  musket  and  his  knife.  The  wealthy  villager  rarely 
ventures  to  the  market-town  without  his  trabuco,  and, 
perhaps,  a  servant  on  foot  with  a  blunderbuss  on  his 
shoulder;  and  the  most  petty  journey  is  undertaken 
with  the  preparation  of  a  warlike  enterprise. 

The  dangers  of  the  road  produce  also  a  mode  of 
travelling  resembling,  on  a  diminutive  scale,  the  cara 
vans  of  the  East.  The  arrieros,  or  carriers,  congregate 
in  convoys,  and  set  off  in  large  and  well-armed  trains 
on  appointed  days ;  while  additional  travellers  swell 
their  number,  and  contribute  to  their  strength.  In 
this  primitive  wray  is  the  commerce  of  the  country 
carried  on.  The  muleteer  is  the  general  medium  of 
traffic,  and  the  legitimate  traverser  of  the  land,  crossing 
the  peninsula  from  the  Pyrenees  and  the  Asturias  to 
the  Alpuxarras,  the  Serrania  de  Ronda,  and  even  to  the 
gates  of  Gibraltar.  He  lives  frugally  and  hardily: 
his  alforjas  of  coarse  cloth  hold  his  scanty  stock  of 
provisions;  a  leathern  bottle,  hanging  at  his  saddle 
bow,  contains  wine  or  water,  for  a  supply  across 
barren  mountains  and  thirsty  plains;  a  mule-cloth 
spread  upon  the  ground  is  his  bed  at  night,  and  his 
pack-saddle  his  pillow.  His  low,  but  clean-limbed  and 
sinewy  form  betokens  strength;  his  complexion  is 
dark  and  sunburnt;  his  eye  resolute,  but  quiet  in  its 


4  THE  ALHAMBRA 

expression,  except  when  kindled  by  sudden  emotion; 
his  demeanor  is  frank,  manly,  and  courteous,  and  he 
never  passes  you  without  a  grave  salutation :  "  Dios 
guarde  a  usted!"  "  Va  usted  con  Dios,  Caballero!" 
"  God  guard  you !  "  "  God  be  with  you,  Cavalier !  " 

As  these  men  have  often  their  whole  fortune  at 
stake  upon  the  burden  of  their  mules,  they  have  their 
weapons  at  hand,  slung  to  their  saddles,  and  ready  to 
be  snatched  out  for  desperate  defence ;  but  their  united 
numbers  render  them  secure  against  petty  bands  of 
marauders,  and  the  solitary  bandolero,  armed  to  the 
teeth,  and  mounted  on  his  Andalusian  steed,  hovers 
about  them,  like  a  pirate  about  a  merchant  convoy, 
without  daring  to  assault. 

The  Spanish  muleteer  has  an  inexhaustible  stock  of 
songs  and  ballads,  with  which  to  beguile  his  incessant 
wayfaring.  The  airs  are  rude  and  simple,  consisting 
of  but  few  inflections.  These  he  chants  forth  with  a 
loud  voice,  and  long,  drawling  cadence,  seated  side 
ways  on  his  mule,  who  seems  to  listen  with  infinite 
gravity,  and  to  keep  time,  with  his  paces,  to  the  tune. 
The  couplets  thus  chanted  are  often  old  traditional  ro 
mances  about  the  Moors,  or  some  legend  of  a  saint, 
or  some  love-ditty;  or,  what  is  still  more  frequent, 
some  ballad  about  a  bold  contrabandista,  or  hardy 
bandolero,  for  the  smuggler  and  the  robber  are  poetical 
heroes  among  the  common  people  of  Spain.  Often, 
the  song  of  the  muleteer  is  composed  at  the  instant, 
and  relates  to  some  local  scene,  or  some  incident  of 
the  journey.  This  talent  of  singing  and  improvising 
is  frequent  in  Spain,  and  is  said  to  have  been  inherited 
from  the  Moors.  There  is  something  wildly  pleasing 
in  listening  to  these  ditties  among  the  rude  and  lonely 
scenes  they  illustrate;  accompanied,  as  they  are,  by 
the  occasional  jingle  of  the  mule-bell. 

It  has  a  most  picturesque  effect  also  to  meet  a  train 
of  muleteers  in  some  mountain-pass.  First  you  hear 


THE  JOURNEY  5 

the  bells  of  the  leading  mules  breaking  with  their 
simple  melody  the  stillness  of  the  airy  height ;  or,  per 
haps,  the  voice  of  the  muleteer  admonishing  some  tardy 
or  wandering  animal,  or  chanting,  at  the  full  stretch  of 
his  lungs,  some  traditionary  ballad.  At  length  you 
see  the  mules  slowly  winding  along  the  cragged  defile, 
sometimes  descending  precipitous  cliffs,  so  as  to  pre 
sent  themselves  in  full  relief  against  the  sky,  some 
times  toiling  up  the  deep  arid  chasms  below  you.  As 
they  approach,  you  descry  their  gay  decorations  of 
worsted  stuffs,  tassels,  and  saddle-cloths,  while,  as 
they  pass  by,  the  ever  ready  trabuco,  slung  behind  the 
packs  and  saddles,  gives  a  hint  of  the  insecurity  of  the 
road. 

The  ancient  kingdom  of  Granada,  into  which  we 
were  about  to  penetrate,  is  one  of  the  most  mountain 
ous  regions  of  Spain.  Vast  sierras,  or  chains  of 
mountains,  destitute  of  shrub  or  tree,  and  mottled  with 
variegated  marbles  and  granites,  elevate  their  sun 
burnt  summits  against  a  deep-blue  sky;  yet  in  their 
rugged  bosoms  lie  ingulfed  verdant  and  fertile  valleys, 
where  the  desert  and  the  garden  strive  for  mastery, 
and  the  very  rock  is,  as  it  were,  compelled  to  yield  the 
fig,  the  orange,  and  the  citron,  and  to  blossom  with 
the  myrtle  and  the  rose. 

In  the  wild  passes  of  these  mountains  the  sight  of 
walled  towns  and  villages,  built  like  eagles'  nests 
among  the  cliffs,  and  surrounded  by  Moorish  battle 
ments,  or  of  ruined  watch-towers  perched  on  lofty 
peaks,  carries  the  mind  back  to  the  chivalric  days  of 
Christian  and  Moslem  warfare,  and  to  the  romantic 
struggle  for  the  conquest  of  Granada.  In  traversing 
these  lofty  sierras  the  traveller  is  often  obliged  to 
alight,  and  lead  his  horse  up  and  down  the  steep  and 
jagged  ascents  and  descents,  resembling  the  broken 
steps  of  a  staircase.  Sometimes  the  road  winds  along 
dizzy  precipices,  without  parapet  to  guard  him  from 


6  THE  ALHAMBRA 

the  gulfs  below,  and  then  will  plunge  down  steep  and 
dark  and  dangerous  declivities.  Sometimes  it  strug 
gles  through  rugged  barrancos,  or  ravines,  worn  by 
winter  torrents,  the  obscure  path  of  the  contrabandista ; 
while,  ever  and  anon,  the  ominous  cross,  the  monument 
of  robbery  and  murder,  erected  on  a  mound  of  stones 
at  some  lonely  part  of  the  road,  admonishes  the  travel 
ler  that  he  is  among  the  haunts  of  banditti,  perhaps  at 
that  very  moment  under  the  eye  of  some  lurking  bando 
lero.  Sometimes,  in  winding  through  the  narrow  val 
leys,  he  is  startled  by  a  hoarse  bellowing,  and  beholds 
above  him  on  some  green  fold  of  the  mountain  a  herd 
of  fierce  Andalusian  bulls,  destined  for  the  combat 
of  the  arena.  I  have  felt,  if  I  may  so  express  it, 
an  agreeable  horror  in  thus  contemplating,  near  at 
hand,  these  terrific  animals,  clothed  with  tremendous 
strength,  and  ranging  their  native  pastures  in  untamed 
wildness,  strangers  almost  to  the  face  of  man :  they 
know  no  one  but  the  solitary  herdsman  who  attends 
upon  them,  and  even  he  at  times  dares  not  venture  to 
approach  them.  The  low  bellowing  of  these  bulls,  and 
their  menacing  aspect  as  they  look  down  from  their 
rocky  height,  give  additional  wildness  to  the  savage 
scenery. 

I  have  been  betrayed  unconsciously  into  a  longer 
disquisition  than  I  intended  on  the  general  features 
of  Spanish  travelling;  but  there  is  a  romance  about 
all  the  recollections  of  the  Peninsula  dear  to  the 
imagination. 

As  our  proposed  route  to  Granada  lay  through 
mountainous  regions,  where  the  roads  are  little  better 
than  mule-paths,  and  said  to  be  frequently  beset  by 
robbers,  we  took  due  travelling  precautions.  Forward 
ing  the  most  valuable  part  of  our  luggage  a  day  or  two 
in  advance  by  the  arrieros,  we  retained  merely  cloth 
ing  and  necessaries  for  the  journey  and  money  for  the 
expenses  of  the  road;  with  a  little  surplus  of  hard 


THE  JOURNEY  7 

dollars  by  way  of  robber  purse,  to  satisfy  the  gentle 
men  of  the  road  should  we  be  assailed.  Unlucky  is 
the  too  wary  traveller  who,  having  grudged  this  pre 
caution,  falls  into  their  clutches  empty-handed ;  they 
are  apt  to  give  him  a  sound  ribroasting  for  cheating 
them  out  of  their  dues.  "  Caballeros  like  them  cannot 
afford  to  scour  the  roads  and  risk  the  gallows  for 
nothing." 

A  couple  of  stout  steeds  were  provided  for  our  own 
mounting,  and  a  third  for  our  scanty  luggage  and  the 
conveyance  of  a  sturdy  Biscayan  lad,  about  twenty 
years  of  age,  who  was  to  be  our  guide,  our  groom,  our 
valet,  and  at  all  times  our  guard.  For  the  latter  office 
he  was  provided  with  a  formidable  trabuco  or  carbine, 
with  which  he  promised  to  defend  us  against  rateros 
or  solitary  footpads ;  but  as  to  powerful  bands,  like 
that  of  the  "  Sons  of  Ecija,"  he  confessed  they  were 
quite  beyond  his  prowess.  He  made  much  vainglo 
rious  boast  about  his  weapon  at  the  outset  of  the  jour 
ney  ;  though,  to  the  discredit  of  his  generalship,  it  was 
suffered  to  hang  unloaded  behind  his  saddle. 

According  to  our  stipulations,  the  man  from  whom 
we  hired  the  horses  was  to  be  at  the  expense  of  their 
feed  and  stabling  on  the  journey,  as  well  as  of  the 
maintenance  of  our  Biscayan  squire,  who  of  course 
was  provided  with  funds  for  the  purpose;  we  took 
care,  however,  to  give  the  latter  a  private  hint,  that, 
though  we  made  a  close  bargain  with  his  master,  it 
was  all  in  his  favor,  as,  if  he  proved  a  good  man  and 
true,  both  he  and  the  horses  should  live  at  our  cost, 
and  the  money  provided  for  their  maintenance  remain 
in  his  pocket.  This  unexpected  largess,  with  the  occa 
sional  present  of  a  cigar,  won  his  heart  completely. 
He  was,  in  truth,  a  faithful,  cheery,  kind-hearted  crea 
ture,  as  full  of  saws  and  proverbs  as  that  miracle  of 
squires,  the  renowned  Sancho  himself,  whose  name, 
by  the  by,  we  bestowed  upon  him,  and,  like  a  true 


8  THE  ALHAMBRA 

Spaniard,  though  treated  by  us  with  companionable 
familiarity,  he  never  for  a  moment,  in  his  utmost 
hilarity,  overstepped  the  bounds  of  respectful  decorum. 

Such  were  our  minor  preparations  for  the  journey, 
but  above  all  we  laid  in  an  ample  stock  of  good-humor, 
and  a  genuine  disposition  to  be  pleased;  determining 
to  travel  in  true  contrabandista  style ;  taking  things  as 
we  found  them,  rough  or  smooth,  and  mingling  with 
all  classes  and  conditions  in  a  kind  of  vagabond  com 
panionship.  It  is  the  true  way  to  travel  in  Spain. 
With  such  disposition  and  determination,  what  a  coun 
try  is  it  for  a  traveller,  where  the  most  miserable  inn 
is  as  full  of  adventure  as  an  enchanted  castle,  and 
every  meal  is  in  itself  an  achievement !  Let  others  re 
pine  at  the  lack  of  turnpike  roads  and  sumptuous 
hotels,  and  all  the  elaborate  comforts  of  a  country 
cultivated  and  civilized  into  tameness  and  common 
place;  but  give  me  the  rude  mountain  scramble;  the 
roving,  hap-hazard,  wayfaring;  the  half  wild,  yet 
frank  and  hospitable  manners,  which  impart  such  a 
true  game-flavor  to  dear  old  romantic  Spain ! 

Thus  equipped  and  attended,  we  cantered  out  of 
"  Fair  Seville  city  "  at  half-past  six  in  the  morning  of 
a  bright  May  day,  in  company  with  a  lady  and  gentle 
man  of  our  acquaintance,  who  rode  a  few  miles  with 
us,  in  the  Spanish  mode  of  taking  leave.  Our  route 
lay  through  old  Alcala  de  Guadaira  (Alcala  on  the 
river  Aira),  the  benefactress  of  Seville,  that  supplies 
it  with  bread  and  water.  Here  live  the  bakers  who 
furnish  Seville  with  that  delicious  bread  for  which 
it  is  renowned ;  here  are  fabricated  those  roscas  well 
known  by  the  well-merited  appellation  of  pan  de  Dios 
(bread  of  God)  ;  with  which,  by  the  way,  we  ordered 
our  man,  Sancho,  to  stock  his  alforjas  for  the  journey. 
Well  has  this  beneficent  little  city  been  denominated 
the  "  Oven  of  Seville  " ;  well  has  it  been  called  Alcala 
de  los  Panaderos  (Alcala  of  the  bakers),  for  a  great 


THE  JOURNEY  9 

part  of  its  inhabitants  are  of  that  handicraft,  and  the 
highway  hence  to  Seville  is  constantly  traversed  by 
lines  of  mules  and  donkeys  laden  with  great  panniers 
of  loaves  and  roscas. 

I  have  said  Alcala  supplies  Seville  with  water.  Here 
are  great  tanks  or  reservoirs,  of  Roman  and  Moorish 
construction,  whence  water  is  conveyed  to  Seville  by 
noble  aqueducts.  The  springs  of  Alcala  are  almost 
as  much  vaunted  as  its  ovens;  and  to  the  lightness, 
sweetness,  and  purity  of  its  water  is  attributed  in  some 
measure  the  delicacy  of  its  bread. 

Here  we  halted  for  a  time,  at  the  ruins  of  the  old 
Moorish  castle,  a  favorite  resort  for  picnic  parties 
from  Seville,  where  we  had  passed  many  a  pleasant 
hour.  The  walls  are  of  great  extent,  pierced  with 
loopholes ;  enclosing  a  huge  square  tower  or  keep,  with 
the  remains  of  masmoras,  or  subterranean  granaries. 
The  Guadaira  winds  its  stream  round  the  hill,  at 
the  foot  of  these  ruins,  whimpering  among  reeds, 
rushes,  and  pond-lilies,  and  overhung  with  rhododen 
dron,  eglantine,  yellow  myrtle,  and  a  profusion  of 
wild  flowers  and  aromatic  shrubs;  while  along  its 
banks  are  groves  of  oranges,  citrons,  and  pome 
granates,  among  which  we  heard  the  early  note  of  the 
nightingale. 

A  picturesque  bridge  was  thrown  across  the  little 
river,  at  one  end  of  which  was  the  ancient  Moorish 
mill  of  the  castle,  defended  by  a  tower  of  yellow  stone; 
a  fisherman's  net  hung  against  the  wall  to  dry,  and 
hard  by  in  the  river  was  his  boat ;  a  group  of  peasant 
women  in  bright-colored  dresses,  crossing  the  arched 
bridge,  were  reflected  in  the  placid  stream.  Altogether 
it  was  an  admirable  scene  for  a  landscape-painter. 

The  old  Moorish  mills,  so  often  found  on  secluded 
streams,  are  characteristic  objects  in  Spanish  land 
scape,  and  suggestive  of  the  perilous  times  of  old. 
They  are  of  stone,  and  often  in  the  form  of  towers 


io  THE  ALHAMBRA 

with  loopholes  and  battlements,  capable  of  defence  in 
those  warlike  days  when  the  country  on  both  sides  of 
the  border  was  subject  to  sudden  inroad  and  hasty 
ravage,  and  when  men  had  to  labor  with  their  weapons 
at  hand,  and  some  place  of  temporary  refuge. 

Our  next  halting-place  was  at  Gandul,  where  were 
the  remains  of  another  Moorish  castle,  with  its  ruined 
tower,  a  nestling-place  for  storks,  and  commanding  a 
view  over  a  vast  campina  or  fertile  plain,  with  the 
mountains  of  Ronda  in  the  distance.  These  castles 
were  strongholds  to  protect  the  plains  from  the  talas 
or  forays  to  which  they  were  subject,  when  the  fields 
of  corn  would  be  laid  waste,  the  flocks  and  herds  swept 
from  the  vast  pastures,  and,  together  with  captive 
peasantry,  hurried  off  in  long  cavalgadas  across  the 
borders. 

At  Gandul  we  found  a  tolerable  posada;  the  good 
folks  could  not  tell  us  what  time  of  day  it  was,  the 
clock  only  struck  once  in  the  day,  two  hours  after 
noon;  until  that  time  it  was  guesswork.  We  guessed 
it  was  full  time  to  eat ;  so,  alighting,  we  ordered  a  re 
past.  While  that  was  in  preparation,  we  visited  the 
palace  once  the  residence  of  the  Marquis  of  Gandul. 
All  was  gone  to  decay;  there  were  but  two  or  three 
rooms  habitable,  and  very  poorly  furnished.  Yet  here 
were  the  remains  of  grandeur:  a  terrace,  where  fair 
dames  and  gentle  cavaliers  may  once  have  walked ;  a 
fish-pond  and  ruined  garden,  with  grape-vines  and 
date-bearing  palm-trees.  Here  we  were  joined  by  a 
fat  curate,  who  gathered  a  bouquet  of  roses,  and  pre 
sented  it,  very  gallantly,  to  the  lady  who  accompa 
nied  us. 

Below  the  palace  was  the  mill,  with  orange-trees  and 
aloes  in  front,  and  a  pretty  stream  of  pure  water.  We 
took  a  seat  in  the  shade;  and  the  millers,  all  leaving 
their  work,  sat  down  and  smoked  with  us;  for  the 
Andalusians  are  always  ready  for  a  gossip.  They  were 


THE  JOURNEY  n 

waiting  for  the  regular  visit  of  the  barber,  who  came 
once  a  week  to  put  all  their  chins  in  order.  He  arrived 
shortly  afterwards :  a  lad  of  seventeen,  mounted  on 
a  donkey,  eager  to  display  his  new  alforjas  or  saddle 
bags,  just  bought  at  a  fair;  price  one  dollar,  to  be 
paid  on  St.  John's  day  (in  June),  by  which  time  he 
trusted  to  have  mown  beards  enough  to  put  him  in 
funds. 

By  the  time  the  laconic  clock  of  the  castle  had 
struck  two  we  had  finished  our  dinner.  So,  taking 
leave  of  our  Seville  friends,  and  leaving  the  millers 
still  under  the  hands  of  the  barber,  we  set  off  on  our 
ride  across  the  campiiia.  It  was  one  of  those  vast 
plains,  common  in  Spain,  where  for  miles  and  miles 
there  is  neither  house  nor  tree.  Unlucky  the  traveller 
who  has  to  traverse  it,  exposed  as  we  were  to  heavy 
and  repeated  showers  of  rain.  There  is  no  escape  nor 
shelter.  Our  only  protection  was  our  Spanish  cloaks, 
which  nearly  covered  man  and  horse,  but  grew  heavier 
every  mile.  By  the  time  we  had  lived  through  one 
shower  we  would  see  another  slowly  but  inevitably  ap 
proaching;  fortunately  in  the  interval  there  would 
be  an  outbreak  of  bright,  warm,  Andalusian  sunshine, 
which  would  make  our  cloaks  send  up  wreaths  of 
steam,  but  which  partially  dried  them  before  the  next 
drenching. 

Shortly  after  sunset  we  arrived  at  Arahal,  a  little 
town  among  the  hills.  We  found  it  in  a  bustle  with  a 
party  of  miquelets,  who  were  patrolling  the  country 
to  ferret  out  robbers.  The  appearance  of  foreigners 
like  ourselves  was  an  unusual  circumstance  in  an  in 
terior  country  town ;  and  little  Spanish  towns  of  the 
kind  are  easily  put  in  a  state  of  gossip  and  wonder 
ment  by  such  an  occurrence.  Mine  host,  with  two  or 
three  old  wiseacre  comrades  in  brown  cloaks,  studied 
our  passports  in  a  corner  of  the  posada,  while  an 
Alguazil  took  notes  by  the  dim  light  of  a  lamp.  The 


12  THE  ALHAMBRA 

passports  were  in  foreign  languages  and  perplexed 
them,  but  our  squire,  Sancho,  assisted  them  in  their 
studies,  and  magnified  our  importance  with  the  gran 
diloquence  of  a  Spaniard.  In  the  mean  time  the  mag 
nificent  distribution  of  a  few  cigars  had  won  the  hearts 
of  all  around  us ;  in  a  little  while  the  whole  community 
seemed  put  in  agitation  to  make  us  welcome.  The  cor- 
regidor  himself  waited  upon  us,  and  a  great  rush- 
bottomed  arm-chair  was  ostentatiously  bolstered  into 
our  room  by  our  landlady,  for  the  accommodation  of 
that  important  personage.  The  commander  of  the 
patrol  took  supper  with  us :  a  lively,  talking,  laughing 
Andaluz,  who  had  made  a  campaign  in  South  America, 
and  recounted  his  exploits  in  love  and  war  with  much 
pomp  of  phrase,  vehemence  of  gesticulation,  and  mys 
terious  rolling  of  the  eye.  He  told  us  that  he  had  a 
list  of  all  the  robbers  in  the  country,  and  meant  to 
ferret  out  every  mother's  son  of  them;  he  offered  us 
at  the  same  time  some  of  his  soldiers  as  an  escort. 
"  One  is  enough  to  protect  you,  Senors ;  the  robbers 
know  me,  and  know  my  men ;  the  sight  of  one  is 
enough  to  spread  terror  through  a  whole  sierra."  We 
thanked  him  for  his  offer,  but  assured  him,  in  his  own 
strain,  that  with  the  protection  of  our  redoubtable 
squire,  Sancho,  we  were  not  afraid  of  all  the  ladrones 
of  Andalusia. 

While  we  were  supping  with  our  drawcansir  friend, 
we  heard  the  notes  of  a  guitar,  and  the  click  of  casta 
nets,  and  presently  a  chorus  of  voices  singing  a  popular 
air.  In  fact,  mine  host  had  gathered  together  the 
amateur  singers  and  musicians,  and  the  rustic  belles 
of  the  neighborhood,  and,  on  going  forth,  the  court 
yard  or  patio  of  the  inn  presented  a  scene  of  true 
Spanish  festivity.  We  took  our  seats  with  mine  host 
and  hostess  and  the  commander  of  the  patrol,  under 
an  archway  opening  into  the  court;  the  guitar  passed 
from  hand  to  hand,  but  a  jovial  shoemaker  was  the 


THE  JOURNEY  13 

Orpheus  of  the  place.  He  was  a  pleasant-looking  fel 
low,  with  huge  black  whiskers ;  his  sleeves  were  rolled 
up  to  his  elbows.  He  touched  the  guitar  with  masterly 
skill,  and  sang  a  little  amorous  ditty  with  an  expressive 
leer  at  the  women,  with  whom  he  was  evidently  a 
favorite.  He  afterwards  danced  a  fandango  with  a 
buxom  Andalusian  damsel,  to  the  great  delight  of  the 
spectators.  But  none  of  the  females  present  could  com 
pare  with  mine  host's  pretty  daughter,  Pepita,  who 
had  slipped  away  and  made  her  toilette  for  the  occa 
sion,  and  had  covered  her  head  with  roses ;  and  who 
distinguished  herself  in  a  bolero  with  a  handsome 
young  dragoon.  We  ordered  our  host  to  let  wine  and 
refreshment  circulate  freely  among  the  company,  yet, 
though  there  was  a  motley  assembly  of  soldiers,  mule 
teers,  and  villagers,  no  one  exceeded  the  bounds  of 
sober  enjoyment.  The  scene  was  a  study  for  a  painter : 
the  picturesque  group  of  dancers,  the  troopers  in  their 
half  military  dresses,  the  peasantry  wrapped  in  their 
brown  cloaks ;  nor  must  I  omit  to  mention  the  old 
meagre  Alguazil,  in  a  short  black  cloak,  who  took  no 
notice  of  anything  going  on,  but  sat  in  a  corner 
diligently  writing  by  the  dim  light  of  a  huge  copper 
lamp,  that  might  have  figured  in  the  days  of  Don 
Quixote. 

The  following  morning  was  bright  and  balmy,  as  a 
May  morning  ought  to  be,  according  to  the  poets. 
Leaving  Arahal  at  seven  o'clock,  with  all  the  posada 
at  the  door  to  cheer  us  off,  we  pursued  our  way 
through  a  fertile  country,  covered  with  grajn  and 
beautifully  verdant;  but  which  in  summer,  when  the 
harvest  is  over  and  the  fields  parched  and  brown,  must 
be  monotonous  and  lonely ;  for,  as  in  our  ride  of  yes 
terday,  there  were  neither  houses  nor  people  to  be 
seen.  The  latter  all  congregate  in  villages  and  strong 
holds  among  the  hills,  as  if  these  fertile  plains  were 
still  subject  to  the  ravages  of  the  Moor. 


14  THE  ALHAMBRA 

At  noon  we  came  to  where  there  was  a  group  of 
trees,  beside  a  brook  in  a  rich  meadow.  Here  we 
alighted  to  make  our  mid-day  meal.  It  was  really  a 
luxurious  spot,  among  wild  flowers  and  aromatic 
herbs,  with  birds  singing  around  us.  Knowing  the 
scanty  larders  of  Spanish  inns,  and  the  houseless  tracts 
we  might  have  to  traverse,  we  had  taken  care  to  have 
the  alforjas  of  our  squire  well  stocked  with  cold  pro 
visions,  and  his  bota,  or  leathern  bottle,  which  might 
hold  a  gallon,  filled  to  the  neck  with  choice  Valdepenas 
wine.1  As  we  depended  more  upon  these  for  our  well- 
being  than  even  his  trabuco,  we  exhorted  him  to  be 
more  attentive  in  keeping  them  well  charged;  and  I 
must  do  him  the  justice  to  say  that  his  namesake,  the 
trencher-loving  Sancho  Panza,  was  never  a  more 
provident  purveyor.  Though  the  alforjas  and  the  bota 
were  frequently  and  vigorously  assailed  throughout  the 
journey,  they  had  a  wonderful  power  of  repletion,  our 
vigilant  squire  sacking  everything  that  remained  from 
our  repasts  at  the  inns,  to  supply  these  junketings  by 
the  road-side,  which  were  his  delight. 

On  the  present  occasion  he  spread  quite  a  sumptu 
ous  variety  of  remnants  on  the  greensward  before  us, 
graced  with  an  excellent  ham  brought  from  Seville; 
then,  taking  his  seat  at  a  little  distance,  he  solaced  him 
self  with  what  remained  in  the  alforjas.  A  visit  or 
two  to  the  bota  made  him  as  merry  and  chirruping  as 
a  grasshopper  filled  with  dew.  On  my  comparing  his 
contents  of  the  alforjas  to  Sancho's  skimming  of  the 
flesh-pots  at  the  wedding  of  Cammacho,  I  found  he 

1  It  may  be  as  well  to  note  here,  that  the  alforjas  are  square 
pockets  at  each  end  of  a  long  cloth  about  a  foot  and  a  half  wide, 
formed  by  turning  up  its  extremities.  The  cloth  is  then  thrown 
over  the  saddle,  and  the  pockets  hang  on  each  side  like  saddle 
bags.  It  is  an  Arab  invention.  The  bota  is  a  leathern  bag  or 
bottle,  of  portly  dimensions,  with  a  narrow  neck.  It  is  also  Orien 
tal.  Hence  the  scriptural  caution,  which  perplexed  me  in  my  boy 
hood,  not  to  put  new  wine  into  old  bottles. 


THE  JOURNEY  15 

was  well  versed  in  the  history  of  Don  Quixote,  but, 
like  many  of  the  common  people  of  Spain,  firmly  be 
lieved  it  to  be  a  true  history. 

"  All  that  happened  a  long  time  ago,  Senor,"  said  he, 
with  an  inquiring  look. 

"  A  very  long  time,"  I  replied. 

"  I  dare  say  more  than  a  thousand  years,"  —  still 
looking  dubiously. 

"  I  dare  say  not  less." 

The  squire  was  satisfied.  Nothing  pleased  the 
simple-hearted  varlet  more  than  my  comparing  him 
to  the  renowned  Sancho  for  devotion  to  the  trencher; 
and  he  called  himself  by  no  other  name  throughout  the 
journey. 

Our  repast  being  finished,  we  spread  our  cloaks  on 
the  greensward  under  the  tree,  and  took  a  luxurious 
siesta  in  the  Spanish  fashion.  The  clouding  up  of  the 
weather,  however,  warned  us  to  depart,  and  a  harsh 
wind  sprang  up  from  the  southeast.  Towards  five 
o'clock  we  arrived  at  Osuna,  a  town  of  fifteen  thou 
sand  inhabitants,  situated  on  the  side  of  a  hill,  with  a 
church  and  a  ruined  castle.  The  posada  was  outside 
of  the  walls;  it  had  a  cheerless  look.  The  evening 
being  cold,  the  inhabitants  were  crowded  round  a 
brasero  in  a  chimney-corner;  and  the  hostess  was  a 
dry  old  woman,  who  looked  like  a  mummy.  Every  one 
eyed  us  askance  as  we  entered,  as  Spaniards  are  apt 
to  regard  strangers;  a  cheery,  respectful  salutation  on 
our  part,  caballeroing  them  and  touching  our  som 
breros,  set  Spanish  pride  at  ease;  and  when  we  took 
our  seat  among  them,  lit  our  cigars,  and  passed  the 
cigar-box  round  among  them,  our  victory  was  com 
plete.  I  have  never  known  a  Spaniard,  whatever  his 
rank  or  condition,  who  would  suffer  himself  to  be  out 
done  in  courtesy;  and  to  the  common  Spaniard  the 
present  of  a  cigar  (puro)  is  irresistible.  Care,  how 
ever,  must  be  taken  never  to  offer  him  a  present  with 


16  THE  ALHAMBRA 

an  air  of  superiority  and  condescension;  he  is  too 
much  of  a  caballero  to  receive  favors  at  the  cost  of  his 
dignity. 

Leaving  Osuna  at  an  early  hour  the  next  morning, 
we  entered  the  sierra  or  range  of  mountains.  The 
road  wound  through  picturesque  scenery,  but  lonely; 
and  a  cross  here  and  there  by  the  road-side,  the  sign  of 
a  murder,  showed  that  we  were  now  coming  among 
the  "  robber  haunts."  This  wild  and  intricate  coun 
try,  with  its  silent  plains  and  valleys  intersected  by 
mountains,  has  ever  been  famous  for  banditti.  It  was 
here  that  Omar  Ibn  Hassan,  a  robber-chief  among  the 
Moslems,  held  ruthless  sway  in  the  ninth  century,  dis 
puting  dominion  even  with  the  caliphs  of  Cordova. 
This  too  was  a  part  of  the  regions  so  often  ravaged 
during  the  reign  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella  by  Ali 
Atar,  the  old  Moorish  alcayde  of  Loxa,  father-in-law 
of  Boabdil,  so  that  it  was  called  Ali  Atar's  garden, 
and  here  "  Jose  Maria,"  famous  in  Spanish  brigand 
story,  had  his  favorite  lurking-places. 

In  the  course  of  the  day  we  passed  through  Fuente 
la  Piedra,  near  a  little  salt  lake  of  the  same  name,  a 
beautiful  sheet  of  water,  reflecting  like  a  mirror  the 
distant  mountains.  We  now  came  in  sight  of  Anti- 
quera,  that  old  city  of  warlike  reputation,  lying  in  the 
lap  of  the  great  sierra  which  runs  through  Andalusia. 
A  noble  Vega  spread  out  before  it,  a  picture  of  mild 
fertility  set  in  a  frame  of  rocky  mountains.  Crossing 
a  gentle  river  we  approached  the  city  between  hedges 
and  gardens,  in  which  nightingales  were  pouring  forth 
their  evening  song.  About  nightfall  we  arrived  at  the 
gates.  Everything  in  this  venerable  city  has  a  de 
cidedly  Spanish  stamp.  It  lies  too  much  out  of  the 
frequented  track  of  foreign  travel  to  have  its  old 
usages  trampled  out.  Here  I  observed  old  men  still 
wearing  the  montero,  or  ancient  hunting-cap,  once 
common  throughout  Spain ;  while  the  young  men  wore 


THE  JOURNEY  17 

the  little  round-crowned  hat,  with  brim  turned  up  all 
round,  like  a  cup  turned  down  in  its  saucer ;  while  the 
brim  was  set  off  with  little  black  tufts  like  cockades. 
The  women,  too,  were  all  in  mantillas  and  basquinas. 
The  fashions  of  Paris  had  not  reached  Antiquera. 

Pursuing  our  course  through  a  spacious  street,  we 
put  up  at  the  posada  of  San  Fernando.  As  Antiquera, 
though  a  considerable  city,  is,  as  I  observed,  somewhat 
out  of  the  track  of  travel,  I  had  anticipated  bad  quar 
ters  and  poor  fare  at  the  inn.  I  was  agreeably  disap 
pointed,  therefore,  by  a  supper-table  amply  supplied, 
and  what  were  still  more  acceptable,  good  clean  rooms 
and  comfortable  beds.  Our  man  Sancho  felt  himself 
as  well  off  as  his  namesake  when  he  had  the  run  of  the 
duke's  kitchen,  and  let  me  know,  as  I  retired  for  the 
night,  that  it  had  been  a  proud  time  for  the  alforjas. 

Early  in  the  morning  (May  4th)  I  strolled  to  the 
ruins  of  the  old  Moorish  castle,  which  itself  had  been 
reared  on  the  ruins  of  a  Roman  fortress.  Here,  tak 
ing  my  seat  on  the  remains  of  a  crumbling  tower,  I 
enjoyed  a  grand  and  varied  landscape,  beautiful  in 
itself,  and  full  of  storied  and  romantic  associations; 
for  I  was  now  in  the  very  heart  of  the  country  famous 
for  the  chivalrous  contests  between  Moor  and  Chris 
tian.  Below  me,  in  its  lap  of  hills,  lay  the  old  warrior 
city  so  often  mentioned  in  chronicle  and  ballad.  Out 
of  yon  gate  and  down  yon  hill  paraded  the  band  of 
Spanish  cavaliers,  of  highest  rank  and  bravest  bear 
ing,  to  make  that  foray  during  the  war  and  conquest 
of  Granada,  which  ended  in  the  lamentable  massacre 
among  the  mountains  of  Malaga,  and  laid  all  Anda 
lusia  in  mourning.  Beyond  spread  out  the  Vega, 
covered  with  gardens  and  orchards  and  fields  of  grain 
and  enamelled  meadows,  inferior  only  to  the  famous 
Vega  of  Granada.  To  the  right  the  Rock  of  the  Lovers 
stretched  like  a  cragged  promontory  into  the  plain, 
whence  the  daughter  of  the  Moorish  alcayde  and 


i8  THE  ALHAMBRA 

her  lover,  when  closely  pursued,  threw  themselves  in 
despair. 

The  matin  peal  from  church  and  convent  below  me 
rang  sweetly  in  the  morning  air,  as  I  descended.  The 
market-place  was  beginning  to  throng  with  the  popu 
lace,  who  traffic  in  the  abundant  produce  of  the  vega; 
for  this  is  the  mart  of  an  agricultural  region.  In  the 
market-place  were  abundance  of  freshly  plucked  roses 
for  sale;  for  not  a  dame  or  damsel  of  Andalusia 
thinks  her  gala  dress  complete  without  a  rose  shining 
like  a  gem  among  her  raven  tresses. 

On  returning  to  the  inn  I  found  our  man  Sancho 
in  high  gossip  with  the  landlord  and  two  or  three  of 
his  hangers-on.  He  had  just  been  telling  some  mar 
vellous  story  about  Seville,  which  mine  host  seemed 
piqued  to  match  with  one  equally  marvellous  about 
Antiquera.  There  was  once  a  fountain,  he  said,  in 
one  of  the  public  squares,  called  //  fuente  del  toro,  (the 
fountain  of  the  bull.)  because  the  water  gushed  from 
the  mouth  of  a  bull's  head,  carved  of  stone.  Under 
neath  the  head  was  inscribed,  - 

En  frente  del  toro 
Se  hallen  tesoro. 

(In  front  of  the  bull  there  is  treasure.)  Many  digged 
in  front  of  the  fountain,  but  lost  their  labor  and  found 
no  money.  At  last  one  knowing  fellow  construed  the 
motto  a  different  way.  It  is  in  the  forehead  (frente) 
of  the  bull  that  the  treasure  is  to  be  found,  said  he  to 
himself,  and  I  am  the  man  to  find  it.  Accordingly 
he  came,  late  at  night,  with  a  mallet,  and  knocked  the 
head  to  pieces;  and  what  do  you  think  he  found? 

"  Plenty  of  gold  and  diamonds ! "  cried  Sancho 
eagerly. 

"  He  found  nothing,"  rejoined  mine  host,  dryly, 
"  and  he  ruined  the  fountain." 

Here  a  great  laugh  was  set  up  by  the  landlord's 


THE  JOURNEY  19 

hangers-on;  who  considered  Sancho  completely  taken 
in  by  what  I  presume  was  one  of  mine  host's  standing 
jokes. 

Leaving  Antiquera  at  eight  o'clock,  we  had  a  delight 
ful  ride  along  the  little  river,  and  by  gardens  and  or 
chards  fragrant  with  the  odors  of  spring  and  vocal 
with  the  nightingale.  Our  road  passed  round  the  Rock 
of  the  Lovers  (el  penon  de  los  enamorados),  which 
rose  in  a  precipice  above  us.  In  the  course  of  the 
morning  we  passed  through  Archidona,  situated  in  the 
breast  of  a  high  hill,  with  a  three-pointed  mountain 
towering  above  it,  and  the  ruins  of  a  Moorish  fortress. 
It  was  a  great  toil  to  ascend  a  steep  stony  street  lead 
ing  up  into  the  city,  although  it  bore  the  encouraging 
name  of  Calle  Real  del  Llano  (the  royal  street  of  the 
plain),  but  it  was  still  a  greater  toil  to  descend  from 
this  mountain  city  on  the  other  side. 

At  noon  we  halted  in  sight  of  Archidona,  in  a  pleas 
ant  little  meadow  among  hills  covered  with  olive-trees. 
Our  cloaks  were  spread  on  the  grass,  under  an  elm 
by  the  side  of  a  bubbling  rivulet ;  our  horses  were 
tethered  where  they  might  crop  the  herbage,  and 
Sancho  was  told  to  produce  his  alforjas.  He  had  been 
unusually  silent  this  morning  ever  since  the  laugh 
raised  at  his  expense,  but  now  his  countenance  bright 
ened,  and  he  produced  his  alforjas  with  an  air  of 
triumph.  They  contained  the  contributions  of  four 
days'  journeying,  but  had  been  signally  enriched  by 
the  foraging  of  the  previous  evening  in  the  plenteous 
inn  at  Antiquera ;  and  this  seemed  to  furnish  him  with 
a  set-off  to  the  banter  of  mine  host. 

En  frente  del  toro 
Se  hallen  tesoro 

would  he  exclaim,  with  a  chuckling  laugh,  as  he  drew 
forth  the  heterogeneous  contents  one  by  one,  in  a 
series  which  seemed  to  have  no  end.  First  came  forth 


20  THE  ALHAMBRA 

a  shoulder  of  roasted  kid,  very  little  the  worse  for 
wear;  then  an  entire  partridge;  then  a  great  morsel 
of  salted  codfish  wrapped  in  paper;  then  the  residue 
of  a  ham;  then  the  half  of  a  pullet,  together  with 
several  rolls  of  bread,  and  a  rabble  rout  of  oranges, 
figs,  raisins,  and  walnuts.  His  bota  also  had  been  re 
cruited  with  some  excellent  wine  of  Malaga.  At  every 
fresh  apparition  from  his  larder,  he  would  enjoy  our 
ludicrous  surprise,  throwing  himself  back  on  the  grass, 
shouting  with  laughter,  and  exclaiming,  "  Frente  del 
toro !  —  f rente  del  toro !  Ah,  Senors,  they  thought 
Sancho  a  simpleton  at  Antiquera;  but  Sancho  knew 
where  to  find  the  tesoro." 

While  we  were  diverting  ourselves  with  his  simple 
drollery,  a  solitary  beggar  approached,  who  had  al 
most  the  look  of  a  pilgrim.  He  had  a  venerable  gray 
beard,  and  was  evidently  very  old,  supporting  himself 
on  a  staff,  yet  age  had  not  bowed  him  down;  he  was 
tall  and  erect,  and  had  the  wreck  of  a  fine  form.  He 
wore  a  round  Andalusian  hat,  a  sheep-skin  jacket,  and 
leathern  breeches,  gaiters,  and  sandals.  His  dress, 
though  old  and  patched,  was  decent,  his  demeanor 
manly,  and  he  addressed  us  with  the  grave  courtesy 
that  is  to  be  remarked  in  the  lowest  Spaniard.  We 
were  in  a  favorable  mood  for  such  a  visitor ;  and  in  a 
freak  of  capricious  charity  gave  him  some  silver,  a 
loaf  of  fine  wheaten  bread,  and  a  goblet  of  our  choice 
wine  of  Malaga.  He  received  them  thankfully,  but 
without  any  grovelling  tribute  of  gratitude.  Tasting 
the  wine,  he  held  it  up  to  the  light,  with  a  slight  beam 
of  surprise  in  his  eye ;  then  quaffing  it  off  at  a  draught, 
"  It  is  many  years,"  said  he,  "  since  I  have  tasted  such 
wine.  It  is  a  cordial  to  an  old  man's  heart."  Then, 
looking  at  the  beautiful  wheaten  loaf,  "  bendito  sea  tal 
pan!"  "blessed  be  such  bread!"  So  saying,  he  put 
it  in  his  wallet.  We  urged  him  to  eat  it  on  the  spot. 
"  No,  Senors/'  replied  he,  "  the  wine  I  had  either  to 


THE  JOURNEY  21 

drink  or  leave;  but  the  bread  I  may  take  home  to 
share  with  my  family." 

Our  man  Sancho  sought  our  eye,  and  reading  per 
mission  there,  gave  the  old  man  some  of  the  ample 
fragments  of  our  repast,  on  condition,  however,  that 
he  should  sit  down  and  make  a  meal. 

He  accordingly  took  his  seat  at  some  little  distance 
from  us,  and  began  to  eat  slowly,  and  with  a  sobriety 
and  decorum  that  would  have  become  a  hidalgo. 
There  was  altogether  a  measured  manner  and  a  quiet 
self-possession  about  the  old  man,  that  made  me  think 
that  he  had  seen  better  days :  his  language  too,  though 
simple,  had  occasionally  something  picturesque  and  al 
most  poetical  in  the  phraseology.  I  set  him  down  for 
some  broken-down  cavalier.  I  was  mistaken ;  it  was 
nothing  but  the  innate  courtesy  of  a  Spaniard,  and  the 
poetical  turn  of  thought  and  language  often  to  be 
found  in  the  lowest  classes  of  this  clear-witted  people. 
For  fifty  years,  he  told  us,  he  had  been  a  shepherd, 
but  now  he  was  out  of  employ  and  destitute.  "  When 
I  was  a  young  man,"  said  he,  "  nothing  could  harm  or 
trouble  me;  I  was  always  well,  always  gay;  but  now 
I  am  seventy-nine  years  of  age,  and  a  beggar,  and  my 
heart  begins  to  fail  me." 

Still  he  was  not  a  regular  mendicant :  it  was  not 
until  recently  that  want  had  driven  him  to  this  deg 
radation  ;  and  he  gave  a  touching  picture  of  the 
struggle  between  hunger  and  pride,  when  abject  desti 
tution  first  came  upon  him.  He  was  returning  from 
Malaga  without  money;  he  had  not  tasted  food  for 
some  time,  and  was  crossing  one  of  the  great  plains 
of  Spain,  where  there  were  but  few  habitations.  When 
almost  dead  with  hunger,  he  applied  at  the  door  of  a 
venta  or  country  inn.  "  Perdon  listed  por  Dios  her- 
m-ano!"  (Excuse  us,  brother,  for  God's  sake!)  was 
the  reply  —  the  usual  mode  in  Spain  of  refusing  a  beg 
gar.  "  I  turned  away,"  said  he,  "  with  shame  greater 


22  THE  ALHAMBRA 

than  my  hunger,  for  my  heart  was  yet  too  proud.  I 
came  to  a  river  with  high  banks,  and  deep,  rapid  cur 
rent,  and  felt  tempted  to  throw  myself  in :  '  What 
should  such  an  old,  worthless,  wretched  man  as  I  live 
for?'  But  when  I  was  on  the  brink  of  the  current, 
I  thought  on  the  blessed  Virgin,  and  turned  away.  I 
travelled  on  until  I  saw  a  country-seat  at  a  little  dis 
tance  from  the  road,  and  entered  the  outer  gate  of  the 
court-yard.  The  door  was  shut,  but  there  were  two 
young  senoras  at  a  window.  I  approached  and  begged ; 
—  l  Per  don  usted  por  Dios  hermano!'  —  and  the 
window  closed.  I  crept  out  of  the  court-yard,  but 
hunger  overcame  me,  and  my  heart  gave  way:  I 
thought  my  hour  at  hand,  so  I  laid  myself  down  at  the 
gate,  commended  myself  to  the  Holy  Virgin,  and 
covered  my  head  to  die.  In  a  little  while  afterwards 
the  master  of  the  house  came  home :  seeing  me  lying 
at  his  gate,  he  uncovered  my  head,  had  pity  on  my  gray 
hairs,  took  me  into  his  house,  and  gave  me  food.  So, 
Senors,  you  see  that  one  should  always  put  confidence 
in  the  protection  of  the  Virgin." 

The  old  man  was  on  his  way  to  his  native  place, 
Archidona,  which  was  in  full  view  on  its  steep  and 
rugged  mountain.  He  pointed  to  the  ruins  of  its 
castle.  "  That  castle,"  he  said,  "  was  inhabited  by  a 
Moorish  king  at  the  time  of  the  wars  of  Granada. 
Queen  Isabella  invaded  it  with  a  great  army;  but  the 
king  looked  down  from  his  castle  among  the  clouds, 
and  laughed  her  to  scorn!  Upon  this  the  Virgin  ap 
peared  to  the  queen,  and  guided  her  and  her  army  up 
a  mysterious  path  in  the  mountains,  which  had  never 
before  been  known.  When  the  Moor  saw  her  coming, 
he  was  astonished,  and  springing  with  his  horse  from 
a  precipice,  was  dashed  to  pieces!  The  marks  of  his 
horse's  hoofs,"  said  the  old  man,  "  are  to  be  seen  in 
the  margin  of  the  rock  to  this  day.  And  see,  Senors, 
yonder  is  the  road  by  which  the  queen  and  her  army 


THE  JOURNEY  23 

mounted :  you  see  it  like  a  ribbon  up  the  mountain's 
side;  but  the  miracle  is,  that,  though  it  can  be  seen  at 
a  distance,  when  you  come  near  it  disappears !  " 

The  ideal  road  to  which  he  pointed  was  undoubtedly 
a  sandy  ravine  of  the  mountain,  which  looked  narrow 
and  defined  at  a  distance,  but  became  broad  and  in 
distinct  on  an  approach. 

As  the  old  man's  heart  warmed  with  wine  and  was 
sail,  he  went  on  to  tell  us  a  story  of  the  buried  treasure 
left  under  the  castle  by  the  Moorish  king.  His  own 
house  was  next  to  the  foundations  of  the  castle.  The 
curate  and  notary  dreamed  three  times  of  the  treasure, 
and  went  to  work  at  the  place  pointed  out  in  their 
dreams.  His  own  son-in-law  heard  the  sound  of  their 
pickaxes  and  spades  at  night.  What  they  found,  no 
body  knows ;  they  became  suddenly  rich,  but  kept  their 
own  secret.  Thus  the  old  man  had  once  been  next  door 
to  fortune,  but  was  doomed  never  to  get  under  the 
same  roof. 

I  have  remarked  that  the  stories  of  treasure  buried 
by  the  Moors,  so  popular  throughout  Spain,  are  most 
current  among  the  poorest  people.  Kind  nature  con 
soles  with  shadows  for  the  lack  of  substantials.  The 
thirsty  man  dreams  of  fountains  and  running  streams ; 
the  hungry  man  of  banquets ;  and  the  poor  man  of 
heaps  of  hidden  gold :  nothing  certainly  is  more  opu 
lent  than  the  imagination  of  a  beggar. 

Our  afternoon's  ride  took  us  through  a  steep  and 
rugged  defile  of  the  mountains,  called  Puerte  del  Rey, 
the  Pass  of  the  King;  being  one  of  the  great  passes 
into  the  territories  of  Granada,  and  the  one  by  which 
King  Ferdinand  conducted  his  army.  Towards  sunset 
the  road,  winding  round  a  hill,  brought  us  in  sight  of 
the  famous  little  frontier  city  of  Loxa,  which  repulsed 
Ferdinand  from  its  walls.  Its  Arabic  name  implies 
guardian,  and  such  it  was  to  the  Vega  of  Granada, 
being  one  of  its  advanced  guards.  It  was  the  strong- 


24  THE  ALHAMBRA 

hold  of  that  fiery  veteran,  old  AH  Atar,  father-in-law 
of  Boabdil;  and  here  it  was  that  the  latter  collected 
his  troops,  and  sallied  forth  on  that  disastrous  foray 
which  ended  in  the  death  of  the  old  alcayde  and  his 
own  captivity.  From  its  commanding  position  at  the 
gate,  as  it  were,  of  this  mountain-pass,  Loxa  has  not 
unaptly  been  termed  the  key  of  Granada.  It  is  wildly 
picturesque;  built  along  the  face  of  an  arid  mountain. 
The  ruins  of  a  Moorish  alcazar  or  citadel  crown  a 
rocky  mound  which  rises  out  of  the  centre  of  the  town. 
The  river  Xenil  washes  its  base,  winding  among  rocks, 
and  groves,  and  gardens,  and  meadows,  and  crossed 
by  a  Moorish  bridge.  Above  the  city  all  is  savage  and 
sterile,  below  is  the  richest  vegetation  and  the  freshest 
verdure.  A  similar  contrast  is  presented  by  the  river : 
above  the  bridge  it  is  placid  and  grassy,  reflecting 
groves  and  gardens ;  below  it  is  rapid,  noisy,  and 
tumultuous.  The  Sierra  Nevada,  the  royal  mountains 
of  Granada,  crowned  with  perpetual  snow,  form  the 
distant  boundary  to  this  varied  landscape,  one  of  the 
most  characteristic  of  romantic  Spain. 

Alighting  at  the  entrance  of  the  city,  we  gave  our 
horses  to  Sancho  to  lead  them  to  the  inn,  while  we 
strolled  about  to  enjoy  the  singular  beauty  of  the  en 
virons.  As  we  crossed  the  bridge  to  a  fine  alameda, 
or  public  walk,  the  bells  tolled  the  hour  of  orison.  At 
the  sound  the  wayfarers,  whether  on  business  or  pleas 
ure,  paused,  took  off  their  hats,  crossed  themselves, 
and  repeated  their  evening  prayer :  a  pious  custom  still 
rigidly  observed  in  retired  parts  of  Spain.  Altogether 
it  was  a  solemn  and  beautiful  evening  scene,  and  we 
wandered  on  as  the  evening  gradually  closed,  and  the 
new  moon  began  to  glitter  between  the  high  elms  of 
the  alameda.  We  were  roused  from  this  quiet  state 
of  enjoyment  by  the  voice  of  our  trusty  squire  hailing 
us  from  a  distance.  He  came  up  to  us,  out  of  breath. 
"  Ah,  Senores,"  cried  he,  "  el  pobre  Sancho  no  es  nada 


THE  JOURNEY  25 

sin  Don  Quixote."  (Ah,  Sefiors,  poor  Sancho  is  noth 
ing  without  Don  Quixote.)  He  had  been  alarmed  at 
our  not  coming  to  the  inn;  Loxa  was  such  a  wild 
mountain  place,  full  of  contrabandistas,  enchanters, 
and  infiernos;  he  did  not  well  know  what  might  have 
happened,  and  set  out  to  seek  us,  inquiring  after  us 
of  every  person  he  met,  until  he  traced  us  across  the 
bridge,  and,  to  his  great  joy,  caught  sight  of  us  stroll 
ing  in  the  alameda. 

The  inn  to  which  he  conducted  us  was  called  the 
Corona,  or  Crown,  and  we  found  it  quite  in  keeping 
with  the  character  of  the  place,  the  inhabitants  of  which 
seem  still  to  retain  the  bold,  fiery  spirit  of  the  olden 
time.  The  hostess  was  a  young  and  handsome  Anda- 
lusian  widow,  whose  trim  basquina  of  black  silk, 
fringed  with  bugles,  set  off  the  play  of  a  graceful  form 
and  round  pliant  limbs.  Her  step  was  firm  and  elastic ; 
her  dark  eye  was  full  of  fire ;  and  the  coquetry  of  her 
air,  and  varied  ornaments  of  her  person,  showed  that 
she  was  accustomed  to  be  admired. 

She  was  well  matched  by  a  brother,  nearly  about 
her  own  age;  they  were  perfect  models  of  the  Anda- 
lusian  Majo  and  Maja.  He  was  tall,  vigorous,  and 
well-formed,  with  a  clear  olive  complexion,  a  dark 
beaming  eye,  and  curling  chestnut  whiskers  that  met 
under  his  chin.  He  was  gallantly  dressed  in  a  short 
green  velvet  jacket,  fitted  to  his  shape,  profusely  deco 
rated  with  silver  buttons,  with  a  white  handkerchief 
in  each  pocket.  He  had  breeches  of  the  same,  with 
rows  of  buttons  from  the  hips  to  the  knees ;  a  pink 
silk  handkerchief  round  his  neck,  gathered  through  a 
ring,  on  the  bosom  of  a  neatly  plaited  shirt;  a  sash 
round  the  waist  to  match ;  bottinas,  or  spatter-dashes, 
of  the  finest  russet  leather,  elegantly  worked,  and  open 
at  the  calf  to  show  his  stocking;  and  russet  shoes, 
setting  off  a  well-shaped  foot. 

As  he  was  standing  at  the  door,  a  horseman  rode 


26  THE  ALHAMBRA 

up  and  entered  into  low  and  earnest  conversation  with 
him.  He  was  dressed  in  a  similar  style,  and  almost 
with  equal  finery;  a  man  about  thirty,  square-built, 
with  strong  Roman  features,  handsome,  though 
slightly  pitted  with  the  small-pox;  with  a  free,  bold, 
and  somewhat  daring  air.  His  powerful  black  horse 
was  decorated  with  tassels  and  fanciful  trappings,  and 
a  couple  of  broad-mouthed  blunderbusses  hung  behind 
the  saddle.  He  had  the  air  of  one  of  those  contra- 
bandistas  I  have  seen  in  the  mountains  of  Ronda,  and 
evidently  had  a  good  understanding  with  the  brother 
of  mine  hostess;  nay,  if  I  mistake  not,  he  was  a 
favored  admirer  of  the  widow.  In  fact,  the  whole  inn 
and  its  inmates  had  something  of  a  contrabandista  as 
pect,  and  a  blunderbuss  stood  in  a  corner  beside  the 
guitar.  The  horseman  I  have  mentioned  passed  his 
evening  in  the  posada,  and  sang  several  bold  mountain 
romances  with  great  spirit.  As  we  were  at  supper, 
two  poor  Asturians  put  in  in  distress,  begging  food  and 
a  night's  lodging.  They  had  been  waylaid  by  robbers 
as  they  came  from  a  fair  among  the  mountains,  robbed 
of  a  horse  which  carried  all  their  stock  in  trade,  stripped 
of  their  money,  and  most  of  their  apparel,  beaten  for 
having  offered  resistance,  and  left  almost  naked  in 
the  road.  My  companion,  with  a  prompt  generosity 
natural  to  him,  ordered  them  a  supper  and  a  bed,  and 
gave  them  a  sum  of  money  to  help  them  forward  to 
wards  their  home. 

As  the  evening  advanced,  the  dramatis  personoe 
thickened.  A  large  man,  about  sixty  years  of  age,  of 
powerful  frame,  came  strolling  in,  to  gossip  with  mine 
hostess.  He  was  dressed  in  the  ordinary  Andalusian 
costume,  but  had  a  huge  sabre  tucked  under  his  arm ; 
wore  large  moustaches,  and  had  something  of  a  lofty 
swaggering  air.  Every  one  seemed  to  regard  him 
with  great  deference. 

Our  man  Sancho  whispered  to  us  that  he  was  Don 


THE  JOURNEY  27 

Ventura  Rodriguez,  the  hero  and  champion  of  Loxa, 
famous  for  his  prowess  and  the  strength  of  his  arm. 
In  the  time  of  the  French  invasion  he  surprised  six 
troopers  who  were  asleep;  he  first  secured  their 
horses,  then  attacked  them  with  his  sabre,  killed  some, 
and  took  the  rest  prisoners.  For  this  exploit  the  king 
allows  him  a  peseta  (the  fifth  of  a  duro,  or  dollar)  per 
day  and  has  dignified  him  with  the  title  of  Don. 

I  was  amused  to  behold  his  swelling  language  and 
demeanor.  He  was  evidently  a  thorough  Andalnsian, 
boastful  as  brave.  His  sabre  was  always  in  his  hand 
or  under  his  arm.  He  carries  it  always  about  with  him 
as  a  child  does  its  doll,  calls  it  his  Santa  Teresa,  and 
says,  "  When  I  draw  it,  the  earth  trembles  "  (tiembla 
la  tierra). 

I  sat  until  a  late  hour  listening  to  the  varied  themes 
of  this  motley  group,  who  mingled  together  with  the 
unreserve  of  a  Spanish  posada.  We  had  contra- 
bandista  songs,  stories  of  robbers,  guerrilla  exploits, 
and  Moorish  legends.  The  last  were  from  our  hand 
some  landlady,  who  gave  a  poetical  account  of  the  in- 
fiernos,  or  infernal  regions  of  Loxa, —  dark  caverns,  in 
which  subterranean  streams  and  waterfalls  make  a 
mysterious  sound.  The  common  people  say  that  there 
are  money-coiners  shut  up  there  from  the  time  of  the 
Moors ;  and  that  the  Moorish  kings  kept  their  treas 
ures  in  those  caverns. 

I  retired  to  bed  with  my  imagination  excited  by  all 
that  I  had  seen  and  heard  in  this  old  warrior  city. 
Scarce  had  I  fallen  asleep  when  I  was  aroused  by  a 
horrid  din  and  uproar,  that  might  have  confounded  the 
hero  of  La  Mancha  himself,  whose  experience  of 
Spanish  inns  was  a  continual  uproar.  It  seemed  for  a 
moment  as  if  the  Moors  were  once  more  breaking  into 
the  town ;  or  the  infiernos  of  which  mine  hostess 
talked  had  broken  loose.  I  sallied  forth,  half  dressed, 
to  reconnoitre.  It  was  nothing  more  nor  less  than  a 


28  THE  ALHAMBRA 

charivari  to  celebrate  the  nuptials  of  an  old  man  with 
a  buxom  damsel.  Wishing  him  joy  of  his  bride  and 
his  serenade,  I  returned  to  my  more  quiet  bed,  and 
slept  soundly  until  morning. 

While  dressing,  I  amused  myself  in  reconnoitring 
the  populace  from  my  window.  There  were  groups  of 
fine-looking  young  men  in  the  trim  fanciful  Anda- 
lusian  costume,  with  brown  cloaks,  thrown  about  them 
in  true  Spanish  style,  which  cannot  be  imitated,  and 
little  round  majo  hats  stuck  on  with  a  peculiar  know 
ing  air.  They  had  the  same  galliard  look  which  I 
have  remarked  among  the  dandy  Tfcountaineers  of 
Ronda.  Indeed,  all  this  part  of  Andalusia  abounds 
with  such  game-looking  characters.  They  loiter  about 
the  towns  and  villages;  seem  to  have  plenty  of  time 
and  plenty  of  money ;  "  horse  to  ride  and  weapon  to 
wear."  Great  gossips,  great  smokers,  apt  at  touching 
the  guitar,  singing  couplets  to  their  maja  belles,  and 
famous  dancers  of  the  bolero.  Throughout  all  Spain 
the  men,  however  poor,  have  a  gentlemanlike  abun 
dance  of  leisure ;  seeming  to  consider  it  the  attribute  of 
a  true  cavaliero  never  to  be  in  a  hurry ;  but  the  Anda- 
lusians  are  gay  as  well  as  leisurely,  and  have  none  of 
the  squalid  accompaniments  of  idleness.  The  ad 
venturous  contraband  trade  which  prevails  through 
out  these  mountain  regions,  and  along  the  maritime 
borders  of  Andalusia,  is  doubtless  at  the  bottom  of  this 
galliard  character. 

In  contrast  to  the  costume  of  these  groups  was  that 
of  two  long-legged  Valencians  conducting  a  donkey, 
laden  with  articles  of  merchandise ;  their  musket  slung 
crosswise  over  his  back,  ready  for  action.  They  wore 
round  jackets  (jalecos),  wide  linen  bragas  or  drawers 
scarce  reaching  to  the  knees  and  looking  like  kilts,  red 
fajas  or  sashes  swathed  tightly  round  their  waists, 
sandals  of  espartal  or  bass  weed,  colored  kerchiefs 
round  their  heads  somewhat  in  the  style  of  turbans, 


THE  JOURNEY  29 

but  leaving  the  top  of  the  head  uncovered;  in  short, 
their  whole  appearance  having  much  of  the  traditional 
Moorish  stamp. 

On  leaving  Loxa  we  were  joined  by  a  cavalier,  well- 
mounted  and  well-armed,  and  followed  on  foot  by  an 
escopetero  or  musketeer.  He  saluted  us  courteously, 
and  soon  let  us  into  his  quality.  He  was  chief  of  the 
customs,  or  rather,  I  should  suppose,  chief  of  an  armed 
company  whose  business  it  is  to  patrol  the  roads  and 
look  out  for  contrabandistas.  The  escopetero  was  one 
of  his  guards.  In  the  course  of  our  morning's  ride  I 
drew  from  him  some  particulars  concerning  the  smug 
glers,  who  have  risen  to  be  a  kind  of  mongrel  chivalry 
in  Spain.  They  come  into  Andalusia,  he  said,  from 
various  parts,  but  especially  from  La  Mancha;  some 
times  to  receive  goods,  to  be  smuggled  on  an  appointed 
night  across  the  line  at  the  plaza  or  strand  of  Gibraltar ; 
sometimes  to  meet  a  vessel,  which  is  to  hover  on  a 
given  night  off  a  certain  part  of  the  coast.  They  keep 
together  and  travel  in  the  night.  In  the  daytime  they 
lie  quiet  in  barrancos,  gullies  of  the  mountains,  or 
lonely  farm-houses;  where  they  are  generally  well  re 
ceived,  as  they  make  the  family  liberal  presents  of  their 
smuggled  wares.  Indeed,  much  of  the  finery  and 
trinkets  worn  by  the  wives  and  daughters  of  the  moun 
tain  hamlets  and  farm-houses  are  presents  from  the 
gay  and  open-handed  contrabandistas. 

Arrived  at  the  part  of  the  coast  where  a  vessel  is  to 
meet  them,  they  look  out  at  night  from  some  rocky 
point  or  headland.  If  they  descry  a  sail  near  the  shore 
they  make  a  concerted  signal ;  sometimes  it  consists 
in  suddenly  displaying  a  lantern  three  times  from  be 
neath  the  folds  of  a  cloak.  If  the  signal  is  answered, 
they  descend  to  the  shore  and  prepare  for  quick  work. 
The  vessel  runs  close  in ;  all  her  boats  are  busy  land 
ing  the  smuggled  goods,  made  up  into  snug  packages 
for  transportation  on  horseback.  These  are  hastily 


30  THE  ALHAMBRA 

thrown  on  the  beach,  as  hastily  gathered  up  and  packed 
on  the  horses,  and  then  the  contrabandistas  clatter  off 
to  the  mountains.  They  travel  by  the  roughest,  wildest, 
and  most  solitary  roads,  where  it  is  almost  fruitless 
to  pursue  them.  The  custom-house  guards  do  not  at 
tempt  it :  they  take  a  different  course.  When  they  hear 
of  one  of  these  bands  returning  full  freighted  through 
the  mountains,  they  go  out  in  force,  sometimes  twelve 
infantry  and  eight  horsemen,  and  take  their  station 
where  the  mountain  defile  opens  into  the  plain.  The 
infantry,  who  lie  in  ambush  some  distance  within  the 
defile,  suffer  the  band  to  pass,  then  rise  and  fire  upon 
them.  The  contrabandistas  dash  forward,  but  are  met 
in  front  by  the  horsemen.  A  wild  skirmish  ensues. 
The  contrabandistas,  if  hard  pressed,  become  desperate. 
Some  dismount,  use  their  horses  as  breastworks,  and 
fire  over  their  backs;  others  cut  the  cords,  let  the 
packs  fall  off  to  delay  the  enemy,  and  endeavor  to  es 
cape  with  their  steeds.  Some  get  off  in  this  way  with 
the  loss  of  their  packages;  some  are  taken,  horses, 
packages,  and  all ;  others  abandon  everything,  and 
make  their  escape  by  scrambling  up  the  mountains. 
"  And  then,"  cried  Sancho,  who  had  been  listening 
with  a  greedy  ear,  "  se  hacen  ladrones  legitimos,  " 
and  then  they  become  legitimate  robbers. 

I  could  not  help  laughing  at  Sancho's  idea  of  a 
legitimate  calling  of  the  kind ;  but  the  chief  of  customs 
told  me  it  was  really  the  case  that  the  smugglers,  when 
thus  reduced  to  extremity,  thought  they  had  a  kind  of 
right  to  take  the  road,  and  lay  travellers  under  con 
tribution,  until  they  had  collected  funds  enough  to 
mount  and  equip  themselves  in  contrabandista  style. 

Towards  noon  our  wayfaring  companion  took  leave 
of  us  and  turned  up  a  steep  defile,  followed  by  his  es- 
copetero;  and  shortly  afterwards  we  emerged  from 
the  mountains,  and  entered  upon  the  far-famed  Vega 
of  Granada. 


THE  JOURNEY  31 

Our  last  mid-day's  repast  was  taken  under  a  grove 
of  olive-trees  on  the  border  of  a  rivulet.  We  were  in 
a  classical  neighborhood ;  for  not  far  off  were  the 
groves  and  orchards  of  the  Soto  de  Roma.  This,  ac 
cording  to  fabulous  tradition,  was  a  retreat  founded 
by  Count  Julian  to  console  his  daughter  Florinda.  It 
was  a  rural  resort  of  the  Moorish  kings  of  Granada; 
and  has  in  modern  times  been  granted  to  the  Duke  of 
Wellington. 

Our  worthy  squire  made  a  half  melancholy  face  as 
he  drew  forth,  for  the  last  time,  the  contents  of  his 
alforjas,  lamenting  that  our  expedition  was  drawing  to 
a  close,  for,  with  such  cavaliers,  he  said,  he  could  travel 
to  the  world's  end.  Our  repast,  however,  was  a  gay 
one;  made  under  such  delightful  auspices.  The  day 
was  without  a  cloud.  The  heat  of  the  sun  was  tem 
pered  by  cool  breezes  from  the  mountains.  Before  us 
extended  the  glorious  Vega.  In  the  distance  was  ro 
mantic  Granada  surmounted  by  the  ruddy  towers  of 
the  Alhambra,  while  far  above  it  the  snowy  summits 
of  the  Sierra  Nevada  shone  like  silver. 

Our  repast  finished,  we  spread  our  cloaks  and  took 
our  last  siesta  al  fresco,  lulled  by  the  humming  of  bees 
among  the  flowers  and  the  notes  of  doves  among  the 
olive-trees.  When  the  sultry  hours  were  passed  we 
resumed  our  journey.  After  a  time  we  overtook  a 
pursy  little  man  shaped  not  unlike  a  toad  and  mounted 
on  a  mule.  He  fell  into  conversation  with  Sancho,  and 
finding  we  were  strangers,  undertook  to  guide  us  to 
a  good  posada.  He  was  an  escribano  (notary),  he 
said,  and  knew  the  city  as  thoroughly  as  his  own 
pocket.  "  Ah  Dios,  Senores !  what  a  city  you  are  going 
to  see.  Such  streets !  such  squares !  such  palaces !  and 
then  the  women  -  -  ah  Santa  Maria  purisima  —  what 
women !  "  -  "  But  the  posada  you  talk  of,"  said  I, 
"  are  you  sure  it  is  a  good  one?  " 

"  Good !     Santa  Maria !   the  best  in  Granada.     Sa- 


32  THE  ALHAMBRA 

lones  grandes  —  camas  de  luxo  —  colchones  de  pluma 
(grand  saloons  —  luxurious  sleeping-rooms  —  beds  of 
down).  Ah,  Senores,  you  will  fare  like  King  Chico  in 
the  Alhambra." 

"  And  how  will  my  horses  fare?  "  cried  Sancho. 

"  Like  King  Chico's  horses.  Chocolate  con  leche  y 
hollos  para  almuerza  "  (chocolate  and  milk  with  sugar 
cakes  for  breakfast),  giving  the  squire  a  knowing  wink 
and  a  leer. 

After  such  satisfactory  accounts,  nothing  more  was 
to  be  desired  on  that  head.  So  we  rode  quietly  on,  the 
squab  little  notary  taking  the  lead,  and  turning  to  us 
every  moment  with  some  fresh  exclamation  about  the 
grandeurs  of  Granada  and  the  famous  times  we  were 
to  have  at  the  posada. 

Thus  escorted,  we  passed  between  hedges  of  aloes 
and  Indian  figs,  and  through  that  wilderness  of  gardens 
with  which  the  Vega  is  embroidered,  and  arrived  about 
sunset  at  the  gates  of  the  city.  Our  officious  little  con 
ductor  conveyed  us  up  one  street  and  down  another, 
until  he  rode  into  the  court-yard  of  an  inn  where  he 
appeared  to  be  perfectly  at  home.  Summoning  the 
landlord  by  his  Christian  name,  he  committed  us  to  his 
care  as  two  cavalleros  de  mucho  valor,  worthy  of  his 
best  apartments  and  most  sumptuous  fare.  We  were 
instantly  reminded  of  the  patronizing  stranger  who 
introduced  Gil  Bias  with  such  a  flourish  of  trumpets 
to  the  host  and  hostess  of  the  inn  at  Pennaflor,  order 
ing  trouts  for  his  supper  and  eating  voraciously  at  his 
expense.  "  You  know  not  what  you  possess,"  cried 
he  to  the  innkeeper  and  his  wife.  "  You  have  a  treas 
ure  in  your  house.  Behold  in  this  young  gentleman  the 
eighth  wonder  of  the  world  —  nothing  in  this  house 
is  too  good  for  Senor  Gil  Bias  of  Santillane,  who  de 
serves  to  be  entertained  like  a  prince." 

Determined  that  the  little  notary  should  not  eat 
trouts  at  our  expense,  like  his  prototype  of  Pennaflor, 


PALACE  OF  THE  ALHAMBRA  33 

we  forbore  to  ask  him  to  supper;  nor  had  we  reason 
to  reproach  ourselves  with  ingratitude,  for  we  found 
before  morning  the  little  varlet,  who  was  no  doubt  a 
good  friend  of  the  landlord,  had  decoyed  us  into  one 
of  the  shabbiest  posadas  in  Granada. 


PALACE   OF  THE  ALHAMBRA 

To  the  traveller  imbued  with  a  feeling  for  the  historical 
and  poetical,  so  inseparably  intertwined  in  the  annals 
of  romantic  Spain,  the  Alhambra  is  as  much  an  object 
of  devotion  as  is  the  Caaba  to  all  true  Moslems.  How 
many  legends  and  traditions,  true  and  fabulous,  — 
how  many  songs  and  ballads,  Arabian  and  Spanish, 
of  love  and  war  and  chivalry,  are  associated  with  this 
Oriental  pile!  It  was  the  royal  abode  of  the  Moorish 
kings,  where,  surrounded  with  the  splendors  and  re 
finements  of  Asiatic  luxury,  they  held  dominion  over 
what  they  vaunted  as  a  terrestrial  paradise,  and  made 
their  last  stand  for  empire  in  Spain.  The  royal  palace 
forms  but  a  part  of  a  fortress,  the  walls  of  which, 
studded  with  towers,  stretch  irregularly  round  the 
whole  crest  of  a  hill,  a  spur  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  or 
Snowy  Mountains,  and  overlook  the  city;  externally 
it  is  a  rude  congregation  of  towers  and  battlements, 
with  no  regularity  of  plan  nor  grace  of  architecture, 
and  giving  little  promise  of  the  grace  and  beauty  which 
prevail  within. 

In  the  time  of  the  Moors  the  fortress  was  capable  of 
containing  within  its  outward  precincts  an  army  of 
forty  thousand  men,  and  served  occasionally  as  a 
stronghold  of  the  sovereigns  against  their  rebellious 
subjects.  After  the  kingdom  had  passed  into  the 
hands  of  the  Christians,  the  Alhambra  continued  to 


34  THE  ALHAMBRA 

be  a  royal  demesne,  and  was  occasionally  inhabited  by 
the  Castilian  monarchs.  The  emperor  Charles  V.  com 
menced  a  sumptuous  palace  within  its  walls,  but  was 
deterred  from  completing  it  by  repeated  shocks  of 
earthquakes.  The  last  royal  residents  were  Philip  V. 
and  his  beautiful  queen,  Elizabetta  of  Parma,  early  in 
the  eighteenth  century.  Great  preparations  were  made 
for  their  reception.  The  palace  and  gardens  were 
placed  in  a  state  of  repair,  and  a  new  suite  of  apart 
ments  erected,  and  decorated  by  artists  brought  from 
Italy.  The  sojourn  of  the  sovereigns  was  transient, 
and  after  their  departure  the  palace  once  more  became 
desolate.  Still  the  place  was  maintained  with  some 
military  state.  The  governor  held  it  immediately 
from  the  crown,  its  jurisdiction  extended  down  into 
the  suburbs  of  the  city,  and  was  independent  of  the 
captain-general  of  Granada.  A  considerable  garrison 
was  kept  up;  the  governor  had  his  apartments  in  the 
front  of  the  old  Moorish  palace,  and  never  descended 
into  Granada  without  some  military  parade.  The  for 
tress,  in  fact,  was  a  little  town  of  itself,  having  several 
streets  of  houses  within  its  walls,  together  with  a  Fran 
ciscan  convent  and  a  parochial  church. 

The  desertion  of  the  court,  however,  was  a  fatal 
blow  to  the  Alhambra.  Its  beautiful  halls  became 
desolate,  and  some  of  them  fell  to  ruin;  the  gardens 
were  destroyed,  and  the  fountains  ceased  to  play.  By 
degrees  the  dwellings  became  filled  with  a  loose  and 
lawless  population ;  contrabandistas,  who  availed  them 
selves  of  its  independent  jurisdiction  to  carry  on  a  wide 
and  daring  course  of  smuggling,  and  thieves  and 
rogues  of  all  sorts,  who  made  this  their  place  of  refuge 
whence  they  might  depredate  upon  Granada  and  its 
vicinity.  The  strong  arm  of  government  at  length  in 
terfered  ;  the  whole  community  was  thoroughly  sifted ; 
none  were  suffered  to  remain  but  such  as  were  of 
honest  character,  and  had  legitimate  right  to  a  resi- 


PALACE  OF  THE  ALHAMBRA          35 

dence;  the  greater  part  of  the  houses  were  demolished 
and  a  mere  hamlet  left,  with  the  parochial  church  and 
the  Franciscan  convent.  During  the  recent  troubles 
in  Spain,  when  Granada  was  in  the  hands  of  the 
French,  the  Alhambra  was  garrisoned  by  their  troops, 
and  the  palace  was  occasionally  inhabited  by  the 
French  commander.  With  that  enlightened  taste  which 
has  ever  distinguished  the  French  nation  in  their  con 
quests,  this  monument  of  Moorish  elegance  and  gran 
deur  was  rescued  from  the  absolute  ruin  and  desolation 
that  were  overwhelming  it.  The  roofs  were  repaired, 
the  saloons  and  galleries  protected  from  the  weather, 
the  gardens  cultivated,  the  watercourses  restored,  the 
fountains  once  more  made  to  throw  up  their  sparkling 
showers;  and  Spain  may  thank  her  invaders  for  hav 
ing  preserved  to  her  the  most  beautiful  and  interesting 
of  her  historical  monuments. 

On  the  departure  of  the  French  they  blew  up  several 
towers  of  the  outer  wall,  and  left  the  fortifications 
scarcely  tenable.  Since  that  time  the  military  impor 
tance  of  the  post  is  at  an  end.  The  garrison  is  a  hand 
ful  of  invalid  soldiers,  whose  principal  duty  is  to  guard 
some  of  the  outer  towers,  which  serve  occasionally  as 
a  prison  of  state;  and  the  governor,  abandoning  the 
lofty  hill  of  the  Alhambra,  resides  in  the  centre  of 
Granada,  for  the  more  convenient  dispatch  of  his 
official  duties.  I  cannot  conclude  this  brief  notice  of 
the  state  of  the  fortress  without  bearing  testimony  to 
the  honorable  exertions  of  its  present  commander,  Don 
Francisco  de  Serna,  who  is  tasking  all  the  limited  re 
sources  at  his  command  to  put  the  palace  in  a  state  of 
repair,  and  by  his  judicious  precautions  has  for  some 
time  arrested  its  too  certain  decay.  Had  his  predeces 
sors  discharged  the  duties  of  their  station  with  equal 
fidelity,  the  Alhambra  might  yet  have  remained  in 
almost  its  pristine  beauty ;  were  government  to  second 
him  with  means  equal  to  his  zeal,  this  relic  of  it  might 


36  THE  ALHAMBRA 

still  be  preserved  for  many  generations  to  adorn  the 
land,  and  attract  the  curious  and  enlightened  of  every 
clime. 

Our  first  object  of  course,  on  the  morning  after  our 
arrival,  was  a  visit  to  this  time-honored  edifice ;  it  has 
been  so  often,  however,  and  so  minutely  described  by 
travellers,  that  I  shall  not  undertake  to  give  a  com 
prehensive  and  elaborate  account  of  it,  but  merely  oc 
casional  sketches  of  parts,  with  the  incidents  and  asso 
ciations  connected  with  them. 

Leaving  our  posada,  and  traversing  the  renowned 
square  of  the  Vivarrambla,  once  the  scene  of  Moorish 
jousts  and  tournaments,  now  a  crowded  market-place, 
we  proceeded  along  the  Zacatin,  the  main  street  of 
what,  in  the  time  of  the  Moors,  was  the  Great  Bazaar, 
and  where  small  shops  and  narrow  alleys  still  retain 
the  Oriental  character.  Crossing  an  open  place  in 
front  of  the  palace  of  the  captain-general,  we  ascended 
a  confined  and  winding  street,  the  name  of  which  re 
minded  us  of  the  chivalric  days  of  Granada.  It  is 
called  the  Calle,  or  street  of  the  Gomeres,  from  a  Moor 
ish  family  famous  in  chronicle  and  song.  This  street 
led  up  to  the  Puerta  de  las  Granadas,  a  massive  gate 
way  of  Grecian  architecture,  built  by  Charles  V.,  form 
ing  the  entrance  to  the  domains  of  the  Alhambra. 

At  the  gate  were  two  or  three  ragged  superannuated 
soldiers,  dozing  on  a  stone  bench,  the  successors  of  the 
Zegris  and  the  Abencerrages ;  while  a  tall,  meagre 
varlet,  whose  rusty-brown  cloak  was  evidently  intended 
to  conceal  the  ragged  state  of  his  nether  garments,  was 
lounging  in  the  sunshine  and  gossiping  with  an  ancient 
sentinel  on  duty.  He  joined  us  as  we  entered  the  gate, 
and  offered  his  services  to  show  us  the  fortress. 

I  have  a  traveller's  dislike  to  officious  ciceroni,  and 
did  not  altogether  like  the  garb  of  the  applicant. 

"  You  are  well  acquainted  with  the  place,  I  pre 
sume?  " 


PALACE  OF  THE  ALHAMBRA  37 

"  Ninguno  mas;  pues,  Seiior,  soy  hijo  de  la  Alham- 
bra."  (Nobody  better;  in  fact,  sir,  I  am  a  son  of  the 
Alhambra!) 

The  common  Spaniards  have  certainly  a  most  poeti 
cal  way  of  expressing  themselves.  "  A  son  of  the  Al 
hambra  !  "  the  appellation  caught  me  at  once ;  the  very 
tattered  garb  of  my  new  acquaintance  assumed  a  dig 
nity  in  my  eyes.  It  was  emblematic  of  the  fortunes  of 
the  place,  and  befitted  the  progeny  of  a  ruin. 

I  put  some  further  questions  to  him,  and  found  that 
his  title  was  legitimate.  His  family  had  lived  in  the 
fortress  from  generation  to  generation  ever  since  the 
time  of  the  Conquest.  His  name  was  Mateo  Ximenes. 
"  Then,  perhaps,"  said  I,  "  you  may  be  a  descendant 
from  the  great  Cardinal  Ximenes  ?  "  -  "  Dios  Sabe ! 
God  knows,  Senor !  It  may  be  so.  We  are  the  oldest 
family  in  the  Alhambra,  —  Christianas  Viejos,  old 
Christians,  without  any  taint  of  Moor  or  Jew.  I  know 
we  belong  to  some  great  family  or  other,  but  I  forget 
whom.  My  father  knows  all  about  it :  he  has  the  coat 
of  arms  hanging  up  in  his  cottage,  up  in  the  fortress." 
There  is  not  any  Spaniard,  however  poor,  but  has  some 
claim  to  high  pedigree.  The  first  title  of  this  ragged 
worthy,  however,  had  completely  captivated  me;  so 
I  gladly  accepted  the  services  of  the  "  son  of  the 
Alhambra." 

We  now  found  ourselves  in  a  deep  narrow  ravine, 
filled  with  beautiful  groves,  with  a  steep  avenue,  and 
various  footpaths  winding  through  it,  bordered  with 
stone  seats,  and  ornamented  with  fountains.  To  our 
left  we  beheld  the  towers  of  the  Alhambra  beetling 
above  us ;  to  our  right,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  ra 
vine,  we  were  equally  dominated  by  rival  towers  on  a 
rocky  eminence.  These,  we  were  told,  were  the  Torres 
Vermejos,  or  vermilion  towers,  so  called  from  their 
ruddy  hue.  No  one  knows  their  origin.  They  are  of 
a  date  much  anterior  to  the  Alhambra;  some  suppose 


38  THE  ALHAMBRA 

them  to  have  been  built  by  the  Romans;  others,  by 
some  wandering  colony  of  Phoenicians.  Ascending  the 
steep  and  shady  avenue,  we  arrived  at  the  foot  of  a 
huge  square  Moorish  tower,  forming  a  kind  of  barbi 
can,  through  which  passed  the  main  entrance  to  the 
fortress.  Within  the  barbican  was  another  group  of 
veteran  invalids,  one  mounting  guard  at  the  portal, 
while  the  rest,  wrapped  in  their  tattered  cloaks,  slept 
on  the  stone  benches.  This  portal  is  called  the  Gate 
of  Justice,  from  the  tribunal  held  within  its  porch  dur 
ing  the  Moslem  domination,  for  the  immediate  trial 
of  petty  causes:  a  custom  common  to  the  Oriental 
nations,  and  occasionally  alluded  to  in  the  Sacred  Scrip 
tures.  "  Judges  and  officers  shalt  thou  make  thee  in 
all  thy  gates,  and  they  shall  judge  the  people  with  just 
judgment." 

The  great  vestibule,  or  porch  of  the  gate,  is  formed 
by  an  immense  Arabian  arch,  of  the  horseshoe  form, 
which  springs  to  half  the  height  of  the  tower.  On  the 
keystone  of  this  arch  is  engraven  a  gigantic  hand. 
Within  the  vestibule,  on  the  keystone  of  the  portal,  is 
sculptured,  in  like  manner,  a  gigantic  key.  Those  who 
pretend  to  some  knowledge  of  Mohammedan  symbols, 
affirm  that  the  hand  is  the  emblem  of  doctrine,  the  five 
fingers  designating  the  five  principal  commandments 
of  the  creed  of  Islam,  fasting,  pilgrimage,  alms-giving, 
ablution,  and  war  against  infidels.  The  key,  say  they. 
is  the  emblem  of  the  faith  or  of  power;  the  key  of 
Daoud,  or  David,  transmitted  to  the  prophet.  "  And 
the  key  of  the  house  of  David  will  I  lay  upon  his  shoul 
der  ;  so  he  shall  open  and  none  shall  shut,  and  he  shall 
shut  and  none  shall  open."  (Isaiah  xxii.  22.)  The  key 
we  are  told  was  emblazoned  on  the  standard  of  the 
Moslems  in  opposition  to  the  Christian  emblem  of  the 
cross,  when  they  subdued  Spain  or  Andalusia.  It  be 
tokened  the  conquering  power  invested  in  the  prophet. 
"  He  that  hath  the  key  of  David,  he  that  openeth  and 


PALACE  OF  THE  ALHAMBRA  39 

no  man  shutteth ;  and  shutteth  and  no  man  openeth." 
(Rev.  iii.  7.) 

A  different  explanation  of  these  emblems,  however, 
was  given  by  the  legitimate  son  of  the  Alhambra,  and 
one  more  in  unison  with  the  notions  of  the  common 
people,  who  attach  something  of  mystery  and  magic  to 
everything  Moorish,  and  have  all  kinds  of  superstitions 
connected  with  this  old  Moslem  fortress.  According 
to  Mateo,  it  was  a  tradition  handed  down  from  the 
oldest  inhabitants,  and  which  he  had  from  his  father 
and  grandfather,  that  the  hand  and  key  were  magical 
devices  on  which  the  fate  of  the  Alhambra  depended. 
The  Moorish  king  who  built  it  was  a  great  magician, 
or,  as  some  believed,  had  sold  himself  to  the  devil,  and 
had  laid  the  whole  fortress  under  a  magic  spell.  By 
this  means  it  had  remained  standing  for  several  years, 
in  defiance  of  storms  and  earthquakes,  while  almost 
all  other  buildings  of  the  Moors  had  fallen  to  ruin  and 
disappeared.  This  spell,  the  tradition  went  on  to  say, 
would  last  until  the  hand  on  the  outer  arch  should 
reach  down  and  grasp  the  key,  when  the  whole  pile 
would  tumble  to  pieces,  and  all  the  treasures  buried 
beneath  it  by  the  Moors  would  be  revealed. 

Notwithstanding  this  ominous  prediction,  we  ven 
tured  to  pass  through  the  spell-bound  gateway,  feeling 
some  little  assurance  against  magic  art  in  the  protec 
tion  of  the  Virgin,  a  statue  of  whom  we  observed 
above  the  portal. 

After  passing  through  the  barbican,  we  ascended  a 
narrow  lane,  winding  between  walls,  and  came  on  an 
open  esplanade  within  the  fortress,  called  the  Plaza  de 
los  Algibes,  or  Place  of  the  Cisterns,  from  great  res 
ervoirs  which  undermine  it,  cut  in  the  living  rock  by 
the  Moors  to  receive  the  \vater  brought  by  conduits 
from  the  Darro,  for  the  supply  of  the  fortress.  Here, 
also,  is  a  well  of  immense  depth,  furnishing  the  purest 
and  coldest  of  water,  —  another  monument  of  the  del- 


40  THE  ALHAMBRA 

icate  taste  of  the  Moors,  who  were  indefatigable  in 
their  exertions  to  obtain  that  element  in  its  crystal 
purity. 

In  front  of  this  esplanade  is  the  splendid  pile  com 
menced  by  Charles  V.,  and  intended,  it  is  said,  to  eclipse 
the  residence  of  the  Moorish  kings.  Much  of  the  Ori 
ental  edifice  intended  for  the  winter  season  was  demol 
ished  to  make  way  for  this  massive  pile.  The  grand 
entrance  was  blocked  up ;  so  that  the  present  entrance 
to  the  Moorish  palace  is  through  a  simple  and  almost 
humble  portal  in  a  corner.  With  all  the  massive  gran 
deur  and  architectural  merit  of  the  palace  of  Charles  V., 
we  regarded  it  as  an  arrogant  intruder,  and  passing 
by  it  with  a  feeling  almost  of  scorn,  rang  at  the  Mos 
lem  portal. 

While  waiting  for  admittance,  our  self-imposed 
cicerone,  Mateo  Ximenes,  informed  us  that  the  royal 
palace  was  intrusted  to  the  care  of  a  worthy  old  maiden 
dame  called  Dona  Antonia-Molina,  but  who,  according 
to  Spanish  custom,  went  by  the  more  neighborly  appel 
lation  of  Tia  Antonia  (Aunt  Antonia),  who  main 
tained  the  Moorish  halls  and  gardens  in  order  and 
showed  them  to  strangers.  While  we  were  talking, 
the  door  was  opened  by  a  plump  little  black-eyed  An- 
dalusian  damsel,  whom  Mateo  addressed  as  Dolores, 
but  who  from  her  bright  looks  and  cheerful  disposition 
evidently  merited  a  merrier  name.  Mateo  informed 
me  in  a  whisper  that  she  was  the  niece  of  Tia  Antonia, 
and  I  found  she  was  the  good  fairy  who  was  to  con 
duct  us  through  the  enchanted  palace.  Under  her 
guidance  we  crossed  the  threshold,  and  were  at  once 
transported,  as  if  by  magic  wand,  into  other  times  and 
an  Oriental  realm,  and  were  treading  the  scenes  of 
Arabian  story.  Nothing  could  be  in  greater  contrast 
than  the  unpromising  exterior  of  the  pile  with  the 
scene  now  before  us.  We  found  ourselves  in  a  vast 
patio  or  court,  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  length, 


PALACE  OF  THE  ALHAMBRA  41 

and  upwards  of  eighty  feet  in  breadth,  paved  with 
white  marble,  and  decorated  at  each  end  with  light 
Moorish  peristyles,  one  of  which  supported  an  elegant 
gallery  of  fretted  architecture.  Along  the  mouldings 
of  the  cornices  and  on  various  parts  of  the  walls  were 
escutcheons  and  ciphers,  and  cufic  and  Arabic  charac 
ters  in  high  relief,  repeating  the  pious  mottoes  of  the 
Moslem  monarchs,  the  builders  of  the  Alhambra,  or 
extolling  their  grandeur  and  munificence.  Along  the 
centre  of  the  court  extended  an  immense  basin  or  tank 
(estanque),  a  hundred  and  twenty-four  feet  in  length, 
twenty-seven  in  breadth,  and  five  in  depth,  receiving 
its  water  from  two  marble  vases.  Hence  it  is  called 
the  Court  of  the  Alberca  (from  al  Beerkah,  the  Arabic 
for  a  pond  or  tank).  Great  numbers  of  gold-fish  were 
to  be  seen  gleaming  through  the  waters  of  the  basin, 
and  it  was  bordered  by  hedges  of  roses. 

Passing  from  the  Court  of  the  Alberca  under  a  Moor 
ish  archway,  we  entered  the  renowned  Court  of  Lions. 
No  part  of  the  edifice  gives  a  more  complete  idea  of  its 
original  beauty  than  this,  for  none  has  suffered  so  little 
from  the  ravages  of  time.  In  the  centre  stands  the 
fountain  famous  in  song  and  story.  The  alabaster 
basins  still  shed  their  diamond  drops ;  the  twelve  lions 
which  support  them,  and  give  the  court  its  name,  still 
cast  forth  crystal  streams  as  in  the  days  of  Boabdil. 
The  lions,  however,  are  unworthy  of  their  fame,  being 
of  miserable  sculpture,  the  work  probably  of  some 
Christian  captive.  The  court  is  laid  out  in  flower-beds, 
instead  of  its  ancient  and  appropriate  pavement  of  tiles 
or  marble ;  the  alteration,  an  instance  of  bad  taste,  was 
made  by  the  French  when  in  possession  of  Granada. 
Round  the  four  sides  of  the  court  are  light  Arabian 
arcades  of  open  filigree  work,  supported  by  slender  pil 
lars  of  white  marble,  which  it  is  supposed  were  origi 
nally  gilded.  The  architecture,  like  that  in  most  parts 
of  the  interior  of  the  palace,  is  characterized  by  ele- 


42  THE  ALHAMBRA 

gance  rather  than  grandeur,  bespeaking  a  delicate  and 
graceful  taste,  and  a  disposition  to  indolent  enjoyment. 
When  one  looks  upon  the  fairy  traces  of  the  peristyles, 
and  the  apparently  fragile  fretwork  of  the  walls,  it  is 
difficult  to  believe  that  so  much  has  survived  the  wear 
and  tear  of  centuries,  the  shocks  of  earthquakes,  the 
violence  of  war,  and  the  quiet,  though  no  less  baneful, 
pilferings  of  the  tasteful  traveller :  it  is  almost  suffi 
cient  to  excuse  the  popular  tradition,  that  the  whole  is 
protected  by  a  magic  charm. 

On  one  side  of  the  court  a  rich  portal  opens  into  the 
Hall  of  the  Abencerrages :  so  called  from  the  gallant 
cavaliers  of  that  illustrious  line  who  were  here  per 
fidiously  massacred.  There  are  some  who  doubt  the 
whole  story,  but  our  humble  cicerone  Mateo  pointed 
out  the  very  wicket  of  the  portal  through  which  they 
were  introduced  one  by  one  into  the  Court  of  Lions, 
and  the  white  marble  fountain  in  the  centre  of  the 
hall  beside  which  they  were  beheaded.  He  showed 
us  also  certain  broad  ruddy  stains  on  the  pavement, 
traces  of  their  blood,  which,  according  to  popular 
belief,  can  never  be  effaced. 

Finding  we  listened  to  him  apparently  with  easy 
faith,  he  added,  that  there  was  often  heard  at  night, 
in  the  Court  of  Lions,  a  low  confused  sound,  resem 
bling  the  murmuring  of  a  multitude ;  and  now  and  then 
a  faint  tinkling,  like  the  distant  clank  of  chains. 
These  sounds  were  made  by  the  spirits  of  the  murdered 
Abencerrages;  who  nightly  haunt  the  scene  of  their 
suffering  and  invoke  the  vengeance  of  Heaven  on  their 
destroyer. 

The  sounds  in  question  had  no  doubt  been  produced, 
as  I  had  afterwards  an  opportunity  of  ascertaining, 
by  the  bubbling  currents  and  tinkling  falls  of  water 
conducted  under  the  pavement  through  pipes  and  chan 
nels  to  supply  the  fountains ;  but  I  was  too  considerate 
to  intimate  such  an  idea  to  the  humble  chronicler  of  the 
Alhambra. 


PALACE  OF  THE  ALHAMBRA  43 

Encouraged  by  my  easy  credulity,  Mateo  gave  me 
the  following  as  an  undoubted  fact,  which  he  had  from 
his  grandfather:  - 

There  was  once  an  invalid  soldier,  who  had  charge 
of  the  Alhambra  to  show  it  to  strangers ;  as  he  was  one 
evening,  about  twilight,  passing  through  the  Court  of 
Lions,  he  heard  footsteps  on  the  Hall  of  the  Abencer- 
rages ;  supposing  some  strangers  to  be  lingering  there, 
he  advanced  to  attend  upon  them,  when  to  his  aston 
ishment  he  beheld  four  Moors  richly  dressed,  with 
gilded  cuirasses  and  cimeters,  and  poniards  glittering 
with  precious  stones.  They  were  walking  to  and  fro, 
with  solemn  pace ;  but  paused  and  beckoned  to  him. 
The  old  soldier,  however,  took  to  flight,  and  could 
never  afterwards  be  prevailed  upon  to  enter  the  Alham 
bra.  Thus  it  is  that  men  sometimes  turn  their  backs 
upon  fortune ;  for  it  is  the  firm  opinion  of  Mateo,  that 
the  Moors  intended  to  reveal  the  place  where  their 
treasures  lay  buried.  A  successor  to  the  invalid  soldier 
was  more  knowing;  he  came  to  the  Alhambra  poor; 
but  at  the  end  of  a  year  went  off  to  Malaga,  bought 
houses,  set  up  a  carriage,  and  still  lives  there,  one  of 
the  richest  as  well  as  oldest  men  of  the  place;  all 
which,  Mateo  sagely  surmised,  was  in  consequence  of 
his  finding  out  the  golden  secret  of  these  phantom 
Moors. 

I  now  perceived  I  had  made  an  invaluable  acquaint 
ance  in  this  son  of  the  Alhambra,  one  who  knew  all 
the  apocryphal  history  of  the  place,  and  firmly  believed 
in  it,  and  whose  memory  \vas  stuffed  with  a  kind  of 
knowledge  for  which  I  have  a  lurking  fancy,  but  which 
is  too  apt  to  be  considered  rubbish  by  less  indulgent 
philosophers.  I  determined  to  cultivate  the  acquaint 
ance  of  this  learned  Theban. 

Immediately  opposite  the  Hall  of  the  Abencerrages, 
a  portal,  richly  adorned,  leads  into  a  hall  of  less  tragical 
associations.  It  is  light  and  lofty,  exquisitely  graceful 


44  THE  ALHAMBRA 

in  its  architecture,  paved  with  white  marble,  and  bears 
the  suggestive  name  of  the  Hall  of  the  Two  Sisters. 
Some  destroy  the  romance  of  the  name  by  attributing 
it  to  two  enormous  slabs  of  alabaster  which  lie  side 
by  side,  and  form  a  great  part  of  the  pavement :  an 
opinion  strongly  supported  by  Mateo  Ximenes.  Others 
are  disposed  to  give  the  name  a  more  poetical  signifi 
cance,  as  the  vague  memorial  of  Moorish  beauties  who 
once  graced  this  hall,  which  was  evidently  a  part  of 
the  royal  harem.  This  opinion  I  was  happy  to  find 
entertained  by  our  little  bright-eyed  guide,  Dolores, 
who  pointed  to  a  balcony  over  an  inner  porch ;  which 
gallery,  she  had  been  told,  belonged  to  the  women's 
apartment.  "  You  see,  Senor,"  said  she,  "  it  is  all 
grated  and  latticed,  like  the  gallery  in  a  convent  chapel 
where  the  nuns  hear  mass ;  for  the  Moorish  kings," 
added  she,  indignantly,  "  shut  up  their  wives  just  like 
nuns." 

The  latticed  "  jalousies,"  in  fact,  still  remain,  whence 
the  dark-eyed  beauties  of  the  harem  might  gaze  unseen 
upon  the  zambras  and  other  dances  and  entertainments 
of  the  hall  below. 

On  each  side  of  this  hall  are  recesses  or  alcoves  for 
ottomans  and  couches,  on  which  the  voluptuous  lords 
of  the  Alhambra  indulged  in  that  dreamy  repose  so 
dear  to  the  Orientalists.  A  cupola  or  lantern  admits 
a  tempered  light  from  above  and  a  free  circulation  of 
air;  while  on  one  side  is  heard  the  refreshing  sound 
of  waters  from  the  fountain  of  the  lions,  and  on  the 
other  side  the  soft  plash  from  the  basin  in  the  garden 
of  Lindaraxa. 

It  is  impossible  to  contemplate  this  scene,  so  perfectly 
Oriental,  without  feeling  the  early  associations  of 
Arabian  romance,  and  almost  expecting  to  see  the 
white  arm  of  some  mysterious  princess  beckoning  from 
the  gallery,  or  some  dark  eye  sparkling  through  the 
lattice.  The  abode  of  beauty  is  here  as  if  it  had  been 


PALACE  OF  THE  ALHAMBRA  45 

inhabited  but  yesterday ;  but  where  are  the  two  sisters, 
where  the  Zoraydas  and  Lindaraxas ! 

An  abundant  supply  of  water,  brought  from  the 
mountains  by  old  Moorish  aqueducts,  circulates 
throughout  the  palace,  supplying  its  baths  and  fish- 
pools,  sparkling  in  jets  within  its  halls,  or  murmuring 
in  channels  along  the  marble  pavements.  When  it  has 
paid  its  tribute  to  the  royal  pile,  and  visited  its  gardens 
and  parterres,  it  flows  down  the  long  avenue  leading 
to  the  city,  tinkling  in  rills,  gushing  in  fountains,  and 
maintaining  a  perpetual  verdure  in  those  groves  that 
embower  and  beautify  the  whole  hill  of  the  Alhambra. 

Those  only  who  have  sojourned  in  the  ardent  cli 
mates  of  the  South  can  appreciate  the  delights  of  an 
abode  combining  the  breezy  coolness  of  the  mountain 
with  the  freshness  and  verdure  of  the  valley.  While 
the  city  below  pants  with  the  noontide  heat,  and  the 
parched  Vega  trembles  to  the  eye,  the  delicate  airs 
from  the  Sierra  Nevada  play  through  these  lofty  halls, 
bringing  with  them  the  sweetness  of  the  surrounding 
gardens.  Everything  invites  to  that  indolent  repose, 
the  bliss  of  southern  climes;  and  while  the  half-shut 
eye  looks  out  from  shaded  balconies  upon  the  glitter 
ing  landscape,  the  ear  is  lulled  by  the  rustling  of  groves 
and  the  murmur  of  running  streams. 

I  forbear  for  the  present,  however,  to  describe  the 
other  delightful  apartments  of  the  palace.  My  object 
is  merely  to  give  the  reader  a  general  introduction  into 
an  abode  where,  if  so  disposed,  he  may  linger  and  loiter 
with  me  day  by  day  until  we  gradually  become  familiar 
with  all  its  localities. 

NOTE  ON  MORISCO   ARCHITECTURE 

To  an  unpractised  eye  the  light  relievos  and  fanciful  arabesques 
which  cover  the  walls  of  the  Alhambra  appear  to  have  been  sculp 
tured  by  the  hand,  with  a  minute  and  patient  labor,  an  inexhaust 
ible  variety  of  detail,  yet  a  general  uniformity  and  harmony  of 
design  truly  astonishing;  and  this  may  especially  be  said  of  the 


46  THE  ALHAMBRA 

vaults  and  cupolas,  which  are  wrought  like  honey-combs,  or  frost 
work,  with  stalactites  and  pendants  which  confound  the  beholder 
with  the  seeming  intricacy  of  their  patterns.  The  astonishment 
ceases,  however,  when  it  is  discovered  that  this  is  all  stucco-work; 
plates  of  plaster  of  Paris,  cast  in  moulds  and  skilfully  joined  so  as 
to  form  patterns  of  every  size  and  form.  This  mode  of  diapering 
walls  with  arabesques,  and  stuccoing  the  vaults  with  grotto-work, 
was  invented  in  Damascus,  but  highly  improved  by  the  Moors  in 
Morocco,  to  whom  Saracenic  architecture  owes  its  most  graceful 
and  fanciful  details.  The  process  by  which  all  this  fairy  tracery 
was  produced  was  ingeniously  simple.  The  wall  in  its  naked 
state  was  divided  off  by  lines  crossing  at  right  angles,  such  as 
artists  use  in  copying  a  picture ;  over  these  were  drawn  a  succes 
sion  of  intersecting  segments  of  circles.  By  the  aid  of  these  the 
artists  could  work  with  celerity  and  certainty,  and  from  the  mere 
intersection  of  the  plain  and  curved  lines  arose  the  interminable 
variety  of  patterns  and  the  general  uniformity  of  their  character.1 

Much  gilding  was  used  in  the  stucco-work,  especially  of  the 
cupolas;  and  the  interstices  were  delicately  pencilled  with  brilliant 
colors,  such  as  vermilion  and  lapis  lazuli,  laid  on  with  the  whites 
of  eggs.  The  primitive  colors  alone  were  used,  says  Ford,  by  the 
Egyptians,  Greeks,  and  Arabs,  in  the  early  period  of  art;  and 
they  prevail  in  the  Alhambra  whenever  the  artist  has  been  Arabic 
or  Moorish.  It  is  remarkable  how  much  of  their  original  bril 
liancy  remains  after  the  lapse  of  several  centuries. 

The  lower  part  of  the  walls  in  the  saloons,  to  the  height  of 
several  feet,  is  incrusted  with  glazed  tiles,  joined  like  the  plates 
of  stucco-work,  so  as  to  form  various  patterns.  On  some  of  them 
are  emblazoned  the  escutcheons  of  the  Moslem  kings,  traversed 
with  a  band  and  motto.  These  glazed  tiles  (azulejos  in  Spanish, 
az-zulaj  in  Arabic)  are  of  Oriental  origin ;  their  coolness,  clean 
liness,  and  freedom  from  vermin,  render  them  admirably  fit 
ted  in  sultry  climates  for  paving  halls  and  fountains,  incrusting 
bathing-rooms,  and  lining  the  walls  of  chambers.  Ford  is  in 
clined  to  give  them  great  antiquity.  From  their  prevailing  colors, 
sapphire  and  blue,  he  deduces  that  they  may  have  formed  the 
kind  of  pavements  alluded  to  in  the  sacred  Scriptures:—  "There 
was  under  his  feet  as  it  were  a  paved  work  of  a  sapphire  stone  " 
(Exod.  xxiv.  10)  ;  and  again,  "  Behold  I  will  lay  thy  stones  with 
fair  colors,  and  lay  thy  foundations  with  sapphires "  (Isaiah 
liv.  ii ). 

These  glazed  or  porcelain  tiles  were  introduced  into  Spain  at 
an  early  date  by  the  Moslems.  Some  are  to  be  seen  among  the 
Moorish  ruins  which  have  been  there  upwards  of  eight  centuries. 
Manufactures  of  them  still  exist  in  the  Peninsula,  and  they  are 
much  used  in  the  best  Spanish  houses,  especially  in  the  southern 
provinces,  for  paving  and  lining  the  summer  apartments. 

The  Spaniards  introduced  them  into  the  Netherlands  when  they 
had  possession  of  that  country.  The  people  of  Holland  adopted 

1  See  Urquhart's  Pillars  of  Hercules,  B.  III.  C.  8. 


IMPORTANT  NEGOTIATIONS  47 

them  with  avidity,  as  wonderfully  suited  to  their  passion  for 
household  cleanliness;  and  thus  these  Oriental  inventions,  the 
azulejos  of  the  Spanish,  the  az-zulaj  of  the  Arabs,  have  come  to 
be  commonly  known  as  Dutch  tiles. 


IMPORTANT  NEGOTIATIONS 

THE  AUTHOR  SUCCEEDS  TO  THE  THRONE  OF 
BOABDIL 

THE  day  was  nearly  spent  before  we  could  tear  our- 
self  from  this  region  of  poetry  and  romance  to  descend 
to  the  city  and  return  to  the  forlorn  realities  of  a 
Spanish  posada.  In  a  visit  of  ceremony  to  the  Gov 
ernor  of  the  Alhambra,  to  whom  we  had  brought  let 
ters,  we  dwelt  with  enthusiasm  on  the  scenes  we  had 
witnessed,  and  could  not  but  express  surprise  that 
he  should  reside  in  the  city  when  he  had  such  a  para 
dise  at  his  command.  He  pleaded  the  inconvenience 
of  a  residence  in  the  palace  from  its  situation  on  the 
crest  of  a  hill,  distant  from  the  seat  of  business  and 
the  resorts  of  social  intercourse.  It  did  very  well  for 
monarchs,  who  often  had  need  of  castle  walls  to  de 
fend  them  from  their  own  subjects.  "  But,  senors," 
added  he,  smiling,  "  if  you  think  a  residence  there  so 
desirable,  my  apartments  in  the  Alhambra  are  at  your 
service." 

It  is  a  common  and  almost  indispensable  point  of 
politeness  in  a  Spaniard,  to  tell  you  his  house  is  yours. 
—  "  Esta  casa  es  siempre  a  la  disposicion  de  Vm." 
"  This  house  is  always  at  the  command  of  your  Grace." 
In  fact,  anything  of  his  which  you  admire,  is  immedi 
ately  offered  to  you.  It  is  equally  a  mark  of  good 
breeding  in  you  not  to  accept  it ;  so  we  merely  bowed 
our  acknowledgments  of  the  courtesy  of  the  Governor 
in  offering  us  a  royal  palace.  We  were  mistaken, 


48  THE  ALHAMBRA 

however.  The  Governor  was  in  earnest.  "  You  will 
find  a  rambling  set  of  empty,  unfurnished  rooms," 
said  he;  "but  Tia  Antonia,  who  has  charge  of  the 
palace,  may  be  able  to  put  them  in  some  kind  of  order, 
and  to  take  care  of  you  while  you  are  there.  If  you 
can  make  any  arrangement  with  her  for  your  accom 
modation,  and  are  content  with  scanty  fare  in  a  royal 
abode,  the  palace  of  King  Chico  is  at  your  service." 

We  took  the  Governor  at  his  word,  and  hastened  up 
the  steep  Calle  de  los  Gomeres,  and  through  the  Great 
Gate  of  Justice,  to  negotiate  with  Dame  Antonia,  — 
doubting  at  times  if  this  were  not  a  dream,  and  fear 
ing  at  times  that  the  sage  Duena  of  the  fortress  might 
be  slow  to  capitulate.  We  knew  we  had  one  friend 
at  least  in  the  garrison,  who  would  be  in  our  favor, 
the  bright-eyed  little  Dolores,  whose  good  graces  we 
had  propitiated  on  our  first  visit ;  and  who  hailed  our 
return  to  the  palace  with  her  brightest  looks. 

All,  however,  went  smoothly.  The  good  Tia  An 
tonia  had  a  little  furniture  to  put  in  the  rooms,  but 
it  was  of  the  commonest  kind.  We  assured  her  we 
could  bivouac  on  the  floor.  She  could  supply  our  table, 
but  only  in  her  own  simple  way ;  —  we  wanted  noth 
ing  better.  Her  niece,  Dolores,  would  wait  upon  us; 
and  at  the  word  we  threw  up  our  hats  and  the  bargain 
was  complete. 

The  very  next  day  we  took  up  our  abode  in  the 
palace,  and  never  did  sovereigns  share  a  divided  throne 
with  more  perfect  harmony.  Several  days  passed  by 
like  a  dream,  when  my  worthy  associate,  being  sum 
moned  to  Madrid  on  diplomatic  duties,  was  compelled 
to  abdicate,  leaving  me  sole  monarch  of  this  shadowy 
realm.  For  myself,  being  in  a  manner  a  hap-hazard 
loiterer  about  the  world,  and  prone  to  linger  in  its 
pleasant  places,  here  have  I  been  suffering  day  by  day 
to  steal  away  unheeded,  spell-bound,  for  aught  I  know, 
in  this  old  enchanted  pile.  Having  always  a  compan- 


IMPORTANT  NEGOTIATIONS  49 

ionable  feeling  for  my  reader,  and  being  prone  to  live 
with  him  on  confidential  terms,  I  shall  make  it  a  point 
to  communicate  to  him  my  reveries  and  researches  dur 
ing  this  state  of  delicious  thraldom.  If  they  have  the 
power  of  imparting  to  his  imagination  any  of  the  witch 
ing  charms  of  the  place,  he  will  not  repine  at  linger 
ing  with  me  for  a  season  in  the  legendary  halls  of  the 
Alhambra. 

And  first  it  is  proper  to  give  him  some  idea  of  my 
domestic  arrangements :  they  are  rather  of  a  simple 
kind  for  the  occupant  of  a  regal  palace;  but  I  trust 
they  will  be  less  liable  to  disastrous  reverses  than  those 
of  my  royal  predecessors. 

My  quarters  are  at  one  end  of  the  Governor's  apart 
ment,  a  suite  of  empty  chambers,  in  front  of  the  palace, 
looking  out  upon  the  great  esplanade  called  la  plaza 
de  los  al gibes  (the  place  of  the  cisterns)  ;  the  apart 
ment  is  modern,  but  the  end  opposite  to  my  sleeping- 
room  communicates  with  a  cluster  of  little  chambers, 
partly  Moorish,  partly  Spanish,  allotted  to  the  chate 
laine  Dona  Antonia  and  her  family.  In  consideration 
of  keeping  the  palace  in  order,  the  good  dame  is  al 
lowed  all  the  perquisites  received  from  visitors,  and 
all  the  produce  of  the  gardens ;  excepting  that  she  is 
expected  to  pay  an  occasional  tribute  of  fruits  and 
flowers  to  the  Governor.  Her  family  consists  of  a 
nephew  and  niece,  the  children  of  two  different  brothers. 
The  nephew,  Manuel  Molina,  is  a  young  man  of  ster 
ling  worth  and  Spanish  gravity.  He  had  served  in 
the  army,  both  in  Spain  and  the  West  Indies,  but  is 
now  studying  medicine  in  the  hope  of  one  day  or  other 
becoming  physician  to  the  fortress,  a  post  worth  at 
least  one  hundred  and  forty  dollars  a  year.  The  niece 
is  the  plump  little  black-eyed  Dolores  already  men 
tioned  ;  and  who,  it  is  said,  will  one  day  inherit  all  her 
aunt's  possessions,  consisting  of  certain  petty  tenements 
in  the  fortress,  in  a  somewhat  ruinous  condition  it 


50  THE  ALHAMBRA 

is  true,  but  which,  I  am  privately  assured  by  Mateo 
Ximenes,  yield  a  revenue  of  nearly  one  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars ;  so  that  she  is  quite  an  heiress  in  the  eyes 
of  the  ragged  son  of  the  Alhambra.  I  am  also  in 
formed  by  the  same  observant  and  authentic  personage, 
that  a  quiet  courtship  is  going  on  between  the  discreet 
Manuel  and  his  bright-eyed  cousin,  and  that  nothing 
is  wanting  to  enable  them  to  join  their  hands  and 
expectations  but  his  doctor's  diploma,  and  a  dispensa 
tion  from  the  Pope  on  account  of  their  consanguinity. 
The  good  Dame  Antonia  fulfils  faithfully  her  con 
tract  in  regard  to  my  board  and  lodging;  and  as  I 
am  easily  pleased,  I  find  my  fare  excellent;  while  the 
merry-hearted  little  Dolores  keeps  my  apartment  in 
order,  and  officiates  as  handmaid  at  meal-times.  I  have 
also  at  my  command  a  tall,  stuttering,  yellow-haired 
lad,  named  Pepe,  who  works  in  the  gardens,  and  would 
fain  have  acted  as  valet ;  but  in  this  he  was  forestalled 
by  Mateo  Ximenes,  "  the  son  of  the  Alhambra."  This 
alert  and  officious  wight  has  managed,  somehow  or 
other,  to  stick  by  me  ever  since  I  first  encountered  him 
at  the  outer  gate  of  the  fortress,  and  to  weave  himself 
into  all  my  plans,  until  he  has  fairly  appointed  and 
installed  himself  my  valet,  cicerone,  guide,  guard, 
and  historiographic  squire;  and  I  have  been  obliged 
to  improve  the  state  of  his  wardrobe,  that  he  may  not 
disgrace  his  various  functions ;  so  that  he  has  cast  his 
old  brown  mantle,  as  a  snake  does  his  skin,  and  now 
appears  about  the  fortress  with  a  smart  Andalusian 
hat  and  jacket,  to  his  infinite  satisfaction,  and  the  great 
astonishment  of  his  comrades.  The  chief  fault  of 
honest  Mateo  is  an  over-anxiety  to  be  useful.  Con 
scious  of  having  foisted  himself  into  my  employ,  and 
that  my  simple  and  quiet  habits  render  his  situation 
a  sinecure,  he  is  at  his  wit's  ends  to  devise  modes  of 
making  himself  important  to  my  welfare.  I  am  in  a 
manner  the  victim  of  his  ofnciousness ;  I  cannot  put 


IMPORTANT  NEGOTIATIONS  51 

my  foot  over  the  threshold  of  the  palace,  to  stroll  about 
the  fortress,  but  he  is  at  my  elbow,  to  explain  every 
thing  I  see;  and  if  I  venture  to  ramble  among  the 
surrounding  hills,  he  insists  upon  attending  me  as  a 
guard,  though  I  vehemently  suspect  he  would  be  more 
apt  to  trust  to  the  length  of  his  legs  than  the  strength 
of  his  arms,  in  case  of  attack.  After  all,  however,  the 
poor  fellow  is  at  times  an  amusing  companion;  he  is 
simple-minded  and  of  infinite  good-humor,  with  the 
loquacity  and  gossip  of  a  village  barber,  and  knows 
all  the  small-talk  of  the  place  and  its  environs;  but 
what  he  chiefly  values  himself  on,  is  his  stock  of  local 
information,  having  the  most  marvellous  stories  to  re 
late  of  every  tower,  and  vault,  and  gateway  of  the 
fortress,  in  all  of  which  he  places  the  most  implicit 
faith. 

Most  of  these  he  has  derived,  according  to  his  own 
account,  from  his  grandfather,  a  little  legendary  tailor, 
who  lived  to  the  age  of  nearly  a  hundred  years,  during 
which  he  made  but  two  migrations  beyond  the  pre 
cincts  of  the  fortress.  His  sloop,  for  the  greater  part 
of  a  century,  was  the  resort  of  a  knot  of  venerable 
gossips,  where  they  would  pass  half  the  night  talking 
about  old  times,  and  the  wonderful  events  and  hidden 
secrets  of  the  place.  The  whole  living,  moving,  think 
ing,  and  acting  of  this  historical  little  tailor  had  thus 
been  bounded  by  the  walls  of  the  Alhambra;  within 
them  he  had  been  born,  within  them  he  lived,  breathed, 
and  had  his  being,  \vithin  them  he  died  and  was  buried. 
Fortunately  for  posterity  his  traditionary  lore  died  not 
with  him.  The  authentic  Mateo,  when  an  urchin,  used 
to  be  an  attentive  listener  to  the  narratives  of  his  grand 
father,  and  of  the  gossiping  group  assembled  round 
the  shopboard,  and  is  thus  possessed  of  a  stock  of 
valuable  knowledge  concerning  the  Alhambra,  not  to 
be  found  in  books,  and  well  worthy  the  attention  of 
every  curious  traveller. 


52  THE  ALHAMBRA 

Such  are  the  personages  that  constitute  my  regal 
household;  and  I  question  whether  any  of  the  poten 
tates,  Moslem  or  Christian,  who  have  preceded  me  in 
the  palace,  have  been  waited  upon  with  greater  fidelity, 
or  enjoyed  a  serener  sway. 

When  I  rise  in  the  morning,  Pepe,  the  stuttering 
lad  from  the  gardens,  brings  me  a  tribute  of  fresh- 
culled  flowers,  which  are  afterwards  arranged  in  vases 
by  the  skilful  hand  of  Dolores,  who  takes  a  feminine 
pride  in  the  decoration  of  my  chambers.  My  meals 
are  made  wherever  caprice  dictates ;  sometimes  in  one 
of  the  Moorish  halls,  sometimes  under  the  arcades  of 
the  Court  of  Lions,  surrounded  by  flowers  and  foun 
tains:  and  when  I  walk  out,  I  am  conducted  by  the 
assiduous  Mateo  to  the  most  romantic  retreats  of  the 
mountains,  and  delicious  haunts  of  the  adjacent  val 
leys,  not  one  of  which  but  is  the  scene  of  some  won 
derful  tale. 

Though  fond  of  passing  the  greater  part  of  my  day 
alone,  yet  I  occasionally  repair  in  the  evenings  to  the 
little  domestic  circle  of  Doiia  Antonia.  This  is  gen 
erally  held  in  an  old  Moorish  chamber,  which  serves 
the  good  dame  for  parlor,  kitchen,  and  hall  of  audi 
ence,  and  which  must  have  boasted  of  some  splendor 
in  the  time  of  the  Moors,  if  we  may  judge  from  the 
traces  yet  remaining;  but  a  rude  fireplace  has  been 
made  in  modern  times  in  one  corner,  the  smoke  from 
which  has  discolored  the  walls,  and  almost  obliterated 
the  ancient  arabesques.  A  window,  with  a  balcony 
overhanging  the  valley  of  the  Darro,  lets  in  the  cool 
evening  breeze;  and  here  I  take  my  frugal  supper  of 
fruit  and  milk,  and  mingle  with  the  conversation  of 
the  family.  There  is  a  natural  talent  or  mother-wit, 
as  it  is  called,  about  the  Spaniards,  which  renders  them 
intellectual  and  agreeable  companions,  whatever  may  be 
their  condition  in  life,  or  however  imperfect  may  have 
been  their  education :  add  to  this,  they  are  never  vul- 


IMPORTANT  NEGOTIATIONS  53 

g-ar ;  nature  has  endowed  them  with  an  inherent  dignity 
of  spirit.  The  good  Tia  Antonia  is  a  woman  of  strong 
and  intelligent,  though  uncultivated  mind;  and  the 
bright-eyed  Dolores,  though  she  has  read  but  three  or 
four  books  in  the  whole  course  of  her  life,  has  an  en 
gaging  mixture  of  naivete  and  good  sense,  and  often 
surprises  me  by  the  pungency  of  her  artless  sallies. 
Sometimes  the  nephew  entertains  us  by  reading  some 
old  comedy  of  Calderon  or  Lope  de  Vega,  to  which 
he  is  evidently  prompted  by  a  desire  to  improve  as 
well  as  amuse  his  cousin  Dolores ;  though,  to  his  great 
mortification,  the  little  damsel  generally  falls  asleep 
before  the  first  act  is  completed.  Sometimes  Tia  An 
tonia  has  a  little  levee  of  humble  friends  and  depend 
ants,  the  inhabitants  of  the  adjacent  hamlet,  or  the 
wives  of  the  invalid  soldiers.  These  look  up  to  her 
with  great  deference,  as  the  custodian  of  the  palace, 
and  pay  their  court  to  her  by  bringing  the  news  of  the 
place,  or  the  rumors  that  may  have  straggled  up  from 
Granada.  In  listening  to  these  evening  gossipings  I 
have  picked  up  many  curious  facts  illustrative  of  the 
manners  of  the  people  and  the  peculiarities  of  the 
neighborhood. 

These  are  simple  details  of  simple  pleasures;  it  is 
the  nature  of  the  place  alone  that  gives  them  interest 
and  importance.  I  tread  haunted  ground,  and  am  sur 
rounded  by  romantic  associations.  From  earliest  boy 
hood,  when,  on  the  banks  of  the  Hudson,  I  first  pored 
over  the  pages  of  old  Gines  Perez  de  Hytas's  apocry 
phal  but  chivalresque  history  of  the  civil  wars  of 
Granada,  and  the  feuds  of  its  gallant  cavaliers,  the 
Zegries  and  Abencerrages,  that  city  has  ever  been  a 
subject  of  my  waking  dreams;  and  often  have  I  trod 
in  fancy  the  romantic  halls  of  the  Alhambra.  Behold 
for  once  a  day-dream  realized ;  yet  I  can  scarce  credit 
my  senses,  or  believe  that  I  do  indeed  inhabit  the  palace 
of  Boabdil,  and  look  down  from  its  balconies  upon 


54  THE  ALHAMBRA 

chivalric  Granada.  As  I  loiter  through  these  Oriental 
chambers,  and  hear  the  murmur  of  fountains  and  the 
song  of  the  nightingale;  as  I  inhale  the  odor  of  the 
rose,  and  feel  the  influence  of  the  balmy  climate,  I  am 
almost  tempted  to  fancy  myself  in  the  paradise  of 
Mahomet,  and  that  the  plump  little  Dolores  is  one  of 
the  bright-eyed  houris,  destined  to  administer  to  the 
happiness  of  true  believers. 


INHABITANTS   OF  THE  ALHAMBRA 

I  HAVE  often  observed  that  the  more  proudly  a  mansion 
has  been  tenanted  in  the  day  of  its  prosperity,  the 
humbler  are  its  inhabitants  in  the  day  of  its  decline, 
and  that  the  palace  of  a  king  commonly  ends  in  being 
the  nestling-place  of  the  beggar. 

The  Alhambra  is  in  a  rapid  state  of  similar  transi 
tion.  Whenever  a  tower  falls  to  decay,  it  is  seized 
upon  by  some  tatterdemalion  family,  who  become  joint- 
tenants,  with  the  bats  and  owls,  of  its  gilded  halls ;  and 
hang  their  rags,  those  standards  of  poverty,  out  of  its 
windows  and  loopholes. 

I  have  amused  myself  with  remarking  some  of  the 
motley  characters  that  have  thus  usurped  the  ancient 
abode  of  royalty,  and  who  seem  as  if  placed  here  to 
give  a  farcical  termination  to  the  drama  of  human 
pride.  One  of  these  even  bears  the  mockery  of  a 
regal  title.  It  is  a  little  old  woman  named  Maria  An- 
tonia  Sabonea,  but  who  goes  by  the  appellation  of  la 
Reyna  Coquina,  or  the  Cockle-queen.  She  is  small 
enough  to  be  a  fairy;  and  a  fairy  she  may  be  for 
aught  I  can  find  out,  for  no  one  seems  to  know  her 
origin.  Her  habitation  is  in  a  kind  of  closet  under 
the  outer  staircase  of  the  palace,  and  she  sits  in  the 
cool  stone  corridor,  plying  her  needle  and  singing  from 


INHABITANTS  OF  THE  ALHAMBRA     55 

morning  till  night,  with  a  ready  joke  for  every  one 
that  passes ;  for  though  one  of  the  poorest,  she  is  one 
of  the  merriest  little  women  breathing.  Her  great 
merit  is  a  gift  for  story-telling,  having,  I  verily  be 
lieve,  as  many  stories  at  her  command  as  the  inexhaust 
ible  Scheherezade  of  the  Thousand  and  One  Nights. 
Some  of  these  I  have  heard  her  relate  in  the  evening 
tertulias  of  Dame  Antonia,  at  which  she  is  occasionally 
a  humble  attendant. 

That  there  must  be  some  fairy  gift  about  this  myste 
rious  little  old  woman,  would  appear  from  her  extra 
ordinary  luck,  since,  notwithstanding  her  being  very 
little,  very  ugly,  and  very  poor,  she  has  had,  accord 
ing  to  her  own  account,  five  husbands  and  a  half, 
reckoning  as  a  half  one  a  young  dragoon,  who  died 
during  courtship.  A  rival  personage  to  this  little  fairy 
queen  is  a  portly  old  fellow  with  a  bottle-nose,  who 
goes  about  in  a  rusty  garb,  with  a  cocked  hat  of  oil 
skin  and  a  red  cockade.  He  is  one  of  the  legitimate 
sons  of  the  Alhambra,  and  has  lived  here  all  his  life, 
filling  various  offices,  such  as  deputy  alguazil,  sexton 
of  the  parochial  church,  and  marker  of  a  fives-court 
established  at  the  foot  of  one  of  the  towers.  He  is 
as  poor  as  a  rat,  but  as  proud  as  he  is  ragged,  boast 
ing  of  his  descent  from  the  illustrious  house  of  Aguilar, 
from  which  sprang  Gonzalvo  of  Cordova,  the  grand 
captain.  Nay,  he  actually  bears  the  name  of  Alonzo 
de  Aguilar,  so  renowned  in  the  history  of  the  Con 
quest  ;  though  the  graceless  wags  of  the  fortress  have 
given  him  the  title  of  el  padre  santo,  or  the  holy  father, 
the  usual  appellation  of  the  Pope,  which  I  had  thought 
too  sacred  in  the  eyes  of  true  Catholics  to  be  thus  ludi 
crously  applied.  It  is  a  whimsical  caprice  of  fortune 
to  present,  in  the  grotesque  person  of  this  tatterdema 
lion,  a  namesake  and  descendant  of  the  proud  Alonzo 
de  Aguilar,  the  mirror  of  Andalusian  chivalry,  leading 
an  almost  mendicant  existence  about  this  once  haughty 


56  THE  ALHAMBRA 

fortress,  which  his  ancestor  aided  to  reduce;  yet  such 
might  have  been  the  lot  of  the  descendants  of  Agamem 
non  and  Achilles,  had  they  lingered  about  the  ruins  of 
Troy! 

Of  this  motley  community,  I  find  the  family  of  my 
gossiping  squire,  Mateo  Ximenes,  to  form,  from  their 
numbers  at  least,  a  very  important  part.  His  boast  of 
being  a  son  of  the  Alhambra  is  not  unfounded.  His 
family  has  inhabited  the  fortress  ever  since  the  time 
of  the  Conquest,  handing  down  an  hereditary  poverty 
from  father  to  son ;  not  one  of  them  having  ever  been 
known  to  be  worth  a  maravedi.  His  father,  by  trade 
a  ribbon-weaver,  and  who  succeeded  the  historical  tailor 
as  the  head  of  the  family,  is  now  near  seventy  years 
of  age,  and  lives  in  a  hovel  of  reeds  and  plaster,  built 
by  his  own  hands,  just  above  the  iron  gate.  The  fur 
niture  consists  of  a  crazy  bed,  a  table,  and  two  or  three 
chairs;  a  wooden  chest,  containing,  besides  his  scanty 
clothing,  the  "  archives  of  the  family."  These  are 
nothing  more  nor  less  than  the  papers  of  various  law 
suits  sustained  by  different  generations;  by  which  it 
would  seem  that,  with  all  their  apparent  carelessness 
and  good-humor,  they  are  a  litigious  brood.  Most 
of  the  suits  have  been  brought  against  gossiping  neigh 
bors  for  questioning  the  purity  of  their  blood,  and 
denying  their  being  Christianas  viejos,  i.  c.  old  Chris 
tians,  without  Jewish  or  Moorish  taint.  In  fact,  I 
doubt  whether  this  jealousy  about  their  blood  has  not 
kept  them  so  poor  in  purse :  spending  all  their  earn 
ings  on  escribanos  and  alguazils.  The  pride  of  the 
hovel  is  an  escutcheon  suspended  against  the  wall,  in 
which  are  emblazoned  quarterings  of  the  arms  of  the 
Marquis  of  Caiesedo,  and  of  various  other  noble 
houses,  with  which  this  poverty-stricken  brood  claim 
affinity. 

As  to  Mateo  himself,  who  is  now  about  thirty-five 
years  of  age,  he  has  done  his  utmost  to  perpetuate 


INHABITANTS  OF  THE  ALHAMBRA     57 

his  line  and  continue  the  poverty  of  the  family,  having 
a  wife  and  a  numerous  progeny,  who  inhabit  an  almost 
dismantled  hovel  in  the  hamlet.  How  they  manage  to 
subsist,  he  only  who  sees  into  all  mysteries  can  tell ; 
the  subsistence  of  a  Spanish  family  of  the  kind  is  al 
ways  a  riddle  to  me ;  yet  they  do  subsist,  and  what  is 
more,  appear  to  enjoy  their  existence.  The  wife  takes 
her  holiday  stroll  on  the  Paseo  of  Granada,  with  a 
child  in  her  arms  and  half  a  dozen  at  her  heels;  and 
the  eldest  daughter,  now  verging  into  womanhood, 
dresses  her  hair  with  flowers,  and  dances  gayly  to  the 
castanets. 

There  are  two  classes  of  people  to  whorn,  life  seems 
one  long  holiday, — the  very  rich  and  the  very  poor; 
one,  because  they  need  do  nothing ;  the  other,  because 
they  have  nothing  to  do ;  but  there  are  none  who  un 
derstand  the  art  of  doing  nothing  and  living  upon 
nothing,  better  than  the  poor  classes  of  Spain.  Climate 
does  one  half,  and  temperament  the  rest.  Give  a 
Spaniard  the  shade  in  summer  and  the  sun  in  winter, 
a  little  bread,  garlic,  oil,  and  garbances,  an  old  brown 
cloak  and  a  guitar,  and  let  the  world  roll  on  as  it 
pleases.  Talk  of  poverty!  with  him  it  has  no  disgrace. 
It  sits  upon  him  with  a  grandiose  style,  like  his  ragged 
cloak.  He  is  a  hidalgo,  even  when  in  rags. 

The  "  sons  of  the  Alhambra  "  are  an  eminent  illus 
tration  of  this  practical  philosophy.  As  the  Moors 
imagined  that  the  celestial  paradise  hung  over  this 
favored  spot,  so  I  am  inclined  at  times  to  fancy  that 
a  gleam  of  the  golden  age  still  lingers  about  this 
ragged  community.  They  possess  nothing,  they  do 
nothing,  they  care  for  nothing.  Yet,  though  appar 
ently  idle  all  the  week,  they  are  as  observant  of  all 
holy  days  and  saints'  days  as  the  most  laborious  ar 
tisan.  They  attend  all  fetes  and  dancings  in  Granada 
and  its  vicinity,  light  bonfires  on  the  hills  on  St.  John's 
eve,  and  dance  away  the  moonlight  nights  on  the 


58  THE  ALHAMBRA 

harvest-home  of  a  small  field  within  the  precincts  of 
the  fortress,  which  yield  a  few  bushels  of  wheat. 

Before  concluding  these  remarks,  I  must  mention 
one  of  the  amusements  of  the  place,  which  has  par 
ticularly  struck  me.  I  had  repeatedly  observed  a  long 
lean  fellow  perched  on  the  top  of  one  of  the  towers, 
manoeuvring  two  or  three  fishing-rods,  as  though  he 
were  angling  for  the  stars.  I  was  for  some  time  per 
plexed  by  the  evolutions  of  this  aerial  fisherman,  and 
my  perplexity  increased  on  observing  others  employed 
in  like  manner  on  different  parts  of  the  battlements 
and  bastions;  it  was  not  until  I  consulted  Mateo 
Ximenes  that  I  solved  the  mystery. 

It  seems  that  the  pure  and  airy  situation  of  this 
fortress  has  rendered  it,  like  the  castle  of  Macbeth, 
a  prolific  breeding-place  for  swallows  and  martlets, 
who  sport  about  its  towers  in  myriads,  with  the  holi 
day  glee  of  urchins  just  let  loose  from  school.  To 
entrap  these  birds  in  their  giddy  circlings,  with  hooks 
baited  with  flies,  is  one  of  the  favorite  amusements 
of  the  ragged  "  sons  of  the  Alhambra,"  who,  with  the 
good-for-nothing  ingenuity  of  arrant  idlers,  have  thus 
invented  the  art  of  angling  in  the  sky. 


THE   HALL  OF  AMBASSADORS 

IN  one  of  my  visits  to  the  old  Moorish  chamber  where 
the  good  Tia  Antonia  cooks  her  dinner  and  receives 
her  company,  I  observed  a  mysterious  door  in  one 
corner,  leading  apparently  into  the  ancient  part  of  the 
edifice.  My  curiosity  being  aroused,  I  opened  it,  and 
found  myself  in  a  narrow,  blind  corridor,  groping 
along  which  I  came  to  the  head  of  a  dark  winding 
staircase,  leading  down  an  angle  of  the  Tower  of 
Comares.  Down  this  staircase  I  descended  darkling, 


ENTRANCE   TO    THE    HALL    OF    AMBASSADORS 


THE  HALL  OF  AMBASSADORS          59 

guiding  myself  by  the  wall  until  I  came  to  a  small 
door  at  the  bottom,  throwing  which  open,  I  was  sud 
denly  dazzled  by  emerging  into  the  brilliant  antecham 
ber  of  the  Hall  of  Ambassadors ;  with  the  fountain 
of  the  Court  of  the  Alberca  sparkling  before  me.  The 
antechamber  is  separated  from  the  court  by  an  ele 
gant  gallery,  supported  by  slender  columns  with  span 
drels  of  open  work  in  the  Morisco  style.  At  each  end 
of  the  antechamber  are  alcoves,  and  its  ceiling  is  richly 
stuccoed  and  painted.  Passing  through  a  magnificent 
portal,  I  found  myself  in  the  far-famed  Hall  of  Am 
bassadors,  the  audience  chamber  of  the  Moslem  mon- 
archs.  It  is  said  to  be  thirty-seven  feet  square,  and 
sixty  feet  high ;  occupies  the  whole  interior  of  the 
Tower  of  Comares;  and  still  bears  the  traces  of  past 
magnificence.  The  walls  are  beautifully  stuccoed  and 
decorated  with  Morisco  fancifulness;  the  lofty  ceiling 
was  originally  of  the  same  favorite  material,  with  the 
usual  frostwork  and  pensile  ornaments  or  stalactites ; 
which,  with  the  embellishments  of  vivid  coloring  and 
gilding,  must  have  been  gorgeous  in  the  extreme.  Un 
fortunately  it  gave  way  during  an  earthquake,  and 
brought  down  with  it  an  immense  arch  which  traversed 
the  hall.  It  was  replaced  by  the  present  vault  or  dome 
of  larch  or  cedar,  with  intersecting  ribs,  the  whole 
curiously  wrought  and  richly  colored ;  still  Oriental 
in  its  character,  reminding  one  of  "  those  ceilings  of 
cedar  and  vermilion  that  we  read  of  in  the  Prophets 
and  the  Arabian  Nights."  * 

From  the  great  height  of  the  vault  above  the  win 
dows,  the  upper  part  of  the  hall  is  almost  lost  in  ob 
scurity  ;  yet  there  is  a  magnificence  as  well  as  solem 
nity  in  the  gloom,  as  through  it  we  have  gleams  of  rich 
gilding  and  the  brilliant  tints  of  the  Moorish  pencil. 

The  royal  throne  was  placed  opposite  the  entrance 
in  a  recess,  which  still  bears  an  inscription  intimating 

1  Urquhart's  Pillars  of  Hercules. 


60  THE  ALHAMBRA 

that  Yusef  I.  (the  monarch  who  completed  the  Al- 
hambra)  made  this  the  throne  of  his  empire.  Every 
thing  in  this  noble  hall  seems  to  have  been  calculated 
to  surround  the  throne  with  impressive  dignity  and 
splendor;  there  was  none  of  the  elegant  voluptuous 
ness  which  reigns  in  other  parts  of  the  palace.  The 
tower  is  of  massive  strength,  domineering  over  the 
whole  edifice  and  overhanging  the  steep  hill-side.  On 
three  sides  of  the  Hall  of  Ambassadors  are  windows 
cut  through  the  immense  thickness  of  the  walls,  and 
commanding  extensive  prospects.  The  balcony  of  the 
central  window  especially  looks  down  upon  the  verdant 
valley  of  the  Darro,  with  its  walks,  its  groves,  and 
gardens.  To  the  left  it  enjoys  a  distant  prospect  of 
the  Vega ;  while  directly  in  front  rises  the  rival  height 
of  the  Albaycin,  with  its  medley  of  streets,  and  ter 
races,  and  gardens,  and  once  crowned  by  a  fortress 
that  vied  in  power  with  the  Alhambra.  "  111  fated  the 
man  who  lost  all  this!"  exclaimed  Charles  V.,  as  he 
looked  forth  from  this  window  upon  the  enchanting 
scenery  it  commands. 

The  balcony  of  the  window  where  this  royal  excla 
mation  was  made,  has  of  late  become  one  of  my  favorite 
resorts.  I  have  just  been  seated  there,  enjoying  the 
close  of  a  long  brilliant  day.  The  sun,  as  he  sank  be 
hind  the  purple  mountains  of  Alhama,  sent  a  stream 
of  effulgence  up  the  valley  of  the  Darro,  that  spread 
a  melancholy  pomp  over  the  ruddy  towers  of  the  Al 
hambra;  while  the  Vega,  covered  with  a  slight  sultry 
vapor  that  caught  the  setting  ray,  seemed  spread  out 
in  the  distance  like  a  golden  sea.  Not  a  breath  of  air 
disturbed  the  stillness  of  the  hour,  and  though  the 
faint  sound  of  music  and  merriment  now  and  then 
rose  from  the  gardens  of  the  Darro,  it  but  rendered 
more  impressive  the  monumental  silence  of  the  pile 
which  overshadowed  me.  It  was  one  of  those  hours 
and  scenes  in  which  memory  asserts  an  almost  magical 


THE  HALL  OF  AMBASSADORS          61 

power,  and,  like  the  evening  sun  beaming  on  these 
mouldering  towers,  sends  back  her  retrospective  rays 
to  light  up  the  glories  of  the  past. 

As  I  sat  watching  the  effect  of  the  declining  day 
light  upon  this  Moorish  pile,  I  was  led  into  a  consid 
eration  of  the  light,  elegant,  and  voluptuous  character 
prevalent  throughout  its  internal  architecture,  and  to 
contrast  it  with  the  grand  but  gloomy  solemnity  of 
the  Gothic  edifices  reared  by  the  Spanish  conquerors. 
The  very  architecture  thus  bespeaks  the  opposite  and 
irreconcilable  natures  of  the  two  warlike  people  who 
so  long  battled  here  for  the  mastery  of  the  Peninsula. 
By  degrees  I  fell  into  a  course  of  musing  upon  the 
singular  fortunes  of  the  Arabian  or  Morisco-Spaniards, 
whose  whole  existence  is  as  a  tale  that  is  told,  and 
certainly  forms  one  of  the  most  anomalous  yet  splen 
did  episodes  in  history.  Potent  and  durable  as  was 
their  dominion,  we  scarcely  know  how  to  call  them. 
They  were  a  nation  without  a  legitimate  country  or 
name.  A  remote  wave  of  the  great  Arabian  inunda 
tion,  cast  upon  the  shores  of  Europe,  they  seem  to 
have  all  the  impetus  of  the  first  rush  of  the  torrent. 
Their  career  of  conquest,  from  the  rock  of  Gibraltar 
to  the  cliffs  of  the  Pyrenees,  was  as  rapid  and  brilliant 
as  the  Moslem  victories  of  Syria  and  Egypt.  Nay, 
had  they  not  been  checked  on  the  plains  of  Tours,  all 
France,  all  Europe,  might  have  been  overrun  with  the 
same  facility  as  the  empires  of  the  East,  and  the  Cres 
cent  at  this  day  have  glittered  on  the  fanes  of  Paris 
and  London. 

Repelled  within  the  limits  of  the  Pyrenees,  the  mixed 
hordes  of  Asia  and  Africa,  that  formed  this  great 
irruption,  gave  up  the  Moslem  principle  of  conquest, 
and  sought  to  establish  in  Spain  a  peaceful  and  per 
manent  dominion.  As  conquerors,  their  heroism  was 
only  equalled  by  their  moderation ;  and  in  both,  for 
a  time,  they  excelled  the  nations  with  whom  they  con- 


62  THE  ALHAMBRA 

tended.  Severed  from  their  native  homes,  they  loved 
the  land  given  them  as  they  supposed  by  Allah,  and 
strove  to  embellish  it  with  everything-  that  could  ad 
minister  to  the  happiness  of  man.  Laying  the  foun 
dations  of  their  power  in  a  system  of  wise  and  equi 
table  laws,  diligently  cultivating  the  arts  and  sciences, 
and  promoting  agriculture,  manufactures,  and  com 
merce,  they  gradually  formed  an  empire  unrivalled  for 
its  prosperity  by  any  of  the  empires  of  Christendom; 
and  diligently  drawing  round  them  the  graces  and  re 
finements  which  marked  the  Arabian  empire  in  the 
East,  at  the  time  of  its  greatest  civilization,  they  dif 
fused  the  light  of  Oriental  knowledge  through  the 
western  regions  of  benighted  Europe. 

The  cities  of  Arabian  Spain  became  the  resort  of 
Christian  artisans,  to  instruct  themselves  in  the  useful 
arts.  The  universities  of  Toledo,  Cordova,  Seville, 
and  Granada  were  sought  by  the  pale  student  from 
other  lands  to  acquaint  himself  with  the  sciences  of 
the  Arabs  and  the  treasured  lore  of  antiquity;  the 
lovers  of  the  gay  science  resorted  to  Cordova  and 
Granada,  to  imbibe  the  poetry  and  music  of  the  East; 
and  the  steel-clad  warriors  of  the  North  hastened 
thither  to  accomplish  themselves  in  the  graceful  exer 
cises  and  courteous  usages  of  chivalry. 

If  the  Moslem  monuments  in  Spain,  if  the  Mosque 
of  Cordova,  the  Alcazar  of  Seville,  and  the  Alhambra 
of  Granada,  still  bear  inscriptions  fondly  boasting  of 
the  power  and  permanency  of  their  dominion,  can  the 
boast  be  derided  as  arrogant  and  vain?  Generation 
after  generation,  century  after  century,  passed  away, 
and  still  they  maintained  possession  of  the  land.  A 
period  elapsed  longer  than  that  which  has  passed  since 
England  was  subjugated  by  the  Norman  Conqueror, 
and  the  descendants  of  Musa  and  Taric  might  as  little 
anticipate  being  driven  into  exile  across  the  same  straits, 
traversed  by  their  triumphant  ancestors,  as  the  de- 


THE  HALL  OF  AMBASSADORS          63 

scendants  of  Rollo  and  William,  and  their  veteran 
peers,  may  dream  of  being  driven  back  to  the  shores 
of  Normandy. 

With  all  this,  however,  the  Moslem  empire  in  Spain 
was  but  a  brilliant  exotic,  that  took  no  permanent  root 
in  the  soil  it  embellished.  Severed  from  all  their  neigh 
bors  in  the  West  by  impassable  barriers  of  faith  and 
manners,  and  separated  by  seas  and  deserts  from  their 
kindred  of  the  East,  the  Morisco-Spaniards  were  an  iso 
lated  people.  Their  whole  existence  was  a  prolonged, 
though  gallant  and  chivalric  struggle  for  a  foothold 
in  a  usurped  land. 

They  were  the  outposts  and  frontiers  of  Islamism. 
The  Peninsula  was  the  great  battle-ground  where  the 
Gothic  conquerors  of  the  North  and  the  Moslem  con 
querors  of  the  East  met  and  strove  for  mastery;  and 
the  fiery  courage  of  the  Arab  was  at  length  subdued 
by  the  obstinate  and  persevering  valor  of  the  Goth. 

Never  was  the  annihilation  of  a  people  more  com 
plete  than  that  of  the  Morisco-Spaniards.  Where  are 
they?  Ask  the  shores  of  Barbary  and  its  desert  places. 
The  exiled  remnant  of  their  once  powerful  empire  dis 
appeared  among  the  barbarians  of  Africa,  and  ceased 
to  be  a  nation.  They  have  not  even  left  a  distinct 
name  behind  them,  though  for  nearly  eight  centuries 
they  were  a  distinct  people.  The  home  of  their  adop 
tion,  and  of  their  occupation  for  ages,  refuses  to  ac 
knowledge  them,  except  as  invaders  and  usurpers.  A 
few  broken  monuments  are  all  that  remain  to  bear 
witness  to  their  power  and  dominion,  as  solitary  rocks, 
left  far  in  the  interior,  bear  testimony  to  the  extent 
of  some  vast  inundation.  Such  is  the  Alhambra ;  — 
a  Moslem  pile  in  the  midst  of  a  Christian  land;  an 
Oriental  palace  amidst  the  Gothic  edifices  of  the  West ; 
an  elegant  memento  of  a  brave,  intelligent,  and  grace 
ful  people,  who  conquered,  ruled,  flourished,  and  passed 
away. 


64  THE  ALHAMBRA 


THE  JESUITS'   LIBRARY 

SINCE  indulging  in  the  foregoing  reverie,  my  curiosity 
has  been  aroused  to  know  something  of  the  princes 
who  left  behind  them  this  monument  of  Oriental  taste 
and  magnificence,  —  and  whose  names  still  appear 
among  the  inscriptions  on  its  walls.  To  gratify  this 
curiosity,  I  have  descended  from  this  region  of  fancy 
and  fable,  where  everything  is  liable  to  take  an  imagi 
nary  tint,  and  have  carried  my  researches  among  the 
dusty  tomes  of  the  old  Jesuits'  Library,  in  the  Uni 
versity.  This  once  boasted  repository  of  erudition  is 
now  a  mere  shadow  of  its  former  self,  having  been 
stripped  of  its  manuscripts  and  rarest  works  by  the 
French,  when  masters  of  Granada ;  still  it  contains, 
among  many  ponderous  tomes  of  the  Jesuit  fathers, 
which  the  French  were  careful  to  leave  behind,  several 
curious  tracts  of  Spanish  literature;  and  above  all,  a 
number  of  those  antiquated  parchment-bound  chroni 
cles  for  which  I  have  a  particular  veneration. 

In  this  old  library  I  have  passed  many  delightful 
hours  of  quiet,  undisturbed,  literary  foraging;  for  the 
keys  of  the  doors  and  bookcases  were  kindly  intrusted 
ro  me,  and  I  was  left  alone,  to  rummage  at  my  pleasure, 
—  a  rare  indulgence  in  these  sanctuaries  of  learning, 
which  too  often  tantalize  the  thirsty  student  with  the 
sight  of  sealed  fountains  of  knowledge. 

In  the  course  of  these  visits  I  gleaned  a  variety  of 
facts  concerning  historical  characters  connected  with 
the  Alhambra,  some  of  which  I  here  subjoin,  trusting 
they  may  prove  acceptable  to  the  reader. 


THE  FOUNDER  OF  THE  ALHAMBRA  65 


ALHAMAR,  THE  FOUNDER  OF  THE 
ALHAMBRA 

THE  Moors  of  Granada  regarded  the  Alhambra  as  a 
miracle  of  art,  and  had  a  tradition  that  the  king  who 
founded  it  dealt  in  magic,  or  at  least  in  alchemy,  by 
means  whereof  he  procured  the  immense  sums  of  gold 
expended  in  its  erection.  A  brief  view  of  his  reign 
will  show  the  secret  of  his  wealth.  He  is  known  in 
Arabian  history  as  Muhamed  Ibn-1-Ahmar;  but  his 
name  in  general  is  written  simply  Alhamar,  and  was 
given  to  him,  we  are  told,  on  account  of  his  ruddy 
complexion.1 

He  was  of  the  noble  and  opulent  line  of  the  Beni 
Nasar,  or  tribe  of  Nasar,  and  was  born  in  Arjona,  in 
the  year  of  the  Hegira  592  (A.  D.  1195).  At  his  birth 
the  astrologers,  we  are  told,  cast  his  horoscope  accord 
ing  to  Oriental  custom,  and  pronounced  it  highly 
auspicious;  and  a  santon  predicted  for  him  a  glorious 
career.  No  expense  was  spared  in  fitting  him  for  the 
high  destinies  prognosticated.  Before  he  attained  the 
full  years  of  manhood,  the  famous  battle  of  the  Navas 
(or  plains)  of  Tolosa  shattered  the  Moorish  empire, 
and  eventually  severed  the  Moslems  of  Spain  from 
the  Moslems  of  Africa.  Factions  soon  arose  among 
the  former,  headed  by  warlike  chiefs  ambitious  of 
grasping  the  sovereignty  of  the  Peninsula.  Alhamar 
became  engaged  in  these  wars ;  he  was  the  general 
and  leader  of  the  Beni  Nasar,  and,  as  such,  he  opposed 
and  thwarted  the  ambition  of  Aben  Hud,  who  had 

1  Et  porque  era  muy  rubio  llamaban  lo  los  Moros  Abenalhamar, 
que  quiere  decir  bermejo  .  .  .  .  et  porque  los  Moros  le  llama- 
ban  Benalhamar  que  quiere  decir  bermejo  tomo  los  sefiales  berme- 
jos,  segun  que  los  ovieron  despues  los  Reyes  de  Granada.  — 
BLEDA,  Cronica  de  Alfonso  XL,  P.  I.  C.  44. 

5 


66  THE  ALHAMBRA 

raised  his  standard  among  the  warlike  mountains  of 
the  Alpuxaras,  and  been  proclaimed  king  of  Murcia 
and  Granada.  Many  conflicts  took  place  between  these 
warring  chieftains ;  Alhamar  dispossessed  his  rival  of 
several  important  places,  and  was  proclaimed  king  of 
Jaen  by  his  soldiery ;  but  he  aspired  to  the  sovereignty 
of  the  whole  of  Andalusia,  for  he  was  of  a  sanguine 
spirit  and  lofty  ambition.  His  valor  and  generosity 
went  hand  in  hand;  what  he  gained  by  the  one  he 
secured  by  the  other;  and  at  the  death  of  Aben  Hud 
(A.  D.  1238)  he  became  sovereign  of  all  the  territories 
which  owed  allegiance  to  that  powerful  chief.  He 
made  his  formal  entry  into  Granada  in  the  same  year, 
amid  the  enthusiastic  shouts  of  the  multitude,  who 
hailed  him  as  the  only  one  capable  of  uniting  the  vari 
ous  factions  which  prevailed,  and  which  threatened  to 
lay  the  empire  at  the  mercy  of  the  Christian  princes. 

Alhamar  established  his  court  in  Granada;  he  was 
the  first  of  the  illustrious  line  of  Nasar  that  sat  upon  a 
throne.  He  took  immediate  measures  to  put  his  little 
kingdom  in  a  posture  of  defence  against  the  assaults 
to  be  expected  from  his  Christian  neighbors,  repairing 
and  strengthening  the  frontier  posts  and  fortifying 
the  capital.  Not  content  with  the  provisions  of  the 
Moslem  law,  by  which  every  man  is  made  a  soldier, 
he  raised  a  regular  army  to  garrison  his  strongholds, 
allowing  every  soldier  stationed  on  the  frontier  a  por 
tion  of  land  for  the  support  of  himself,  his  horse,  and 
his  family,  —  thus  interesting  him  in  the  defence  of 
the  soil  in  which  he  had  a  property.  These  wise  pre 
cautions  were  justified  by  events.  The  Christians, 
profiting  by  the  dismemberment  of  the  Moslem  power, 
were  rapidly  regaining  their  ancient  territories.  James 
the  Conqueror  had  subjected  all  Valencia,  and  Ferdi 
nand  the  Saint  sat  down  in  person  before  Jaen,  the 
bulwark  of  Granada.  Alhamar  ventured  to  oppose 
him  in  open  field,  but  met  with  a  signal  defeat,  and 


THE  FOUNDER  OF  THE  ALHAMBRA  67 

retired  discomfited  to  his  capital.  Jaen  still  held  out, 
and  kept  the  enemy  at  bay  during  an  entire  winter, 
but  Ferdinand  swore  not  to  raise  his  camp  until  he 
had  gained  possession  of  the  place.  Alhamar  found 
it  impossible  to  throw  reinforcements  into  the  besieged 
city;  he  saw  that  its  fall  must  be  followed  by  the  in 
vestment  of  his  capital,  and  was  conscious  of  the  in 
sufficiency  of  his  means  to  cope  with  the  potent  sover 
eign  of  Castile.  Taking  a  sudden  resolution,  there 
fore,  he  repaired  privately  to  the  Christian  camp, 
made  his  unexpected  appearance  in  the  presence  of 
King  Ferdinand,  and  frankly  announced  himself  as 
the  king  of  Granada.  "  I  come,"  said  he,  "  confiding 
in  your  good  faith,  to  put  myself  under  your  protection. 
Take  all  I  possess  and  receive  me  as  your  vassal  " ;  so 
saying,  he  knelt  and  kissed  the  king's  hand  in  token 
of  allegiance. 

Ferdinand  was  won  by  this  instance  of  confiding 
faith,  and  determined  not  to  be  outdone  in  generosity. 
He  raised  his  late  enemy  from  the  earth,  embraced 
him  as  a  friend,  and,  refusing  the  wealth  he  offered, 
left  him  sovereign  of  his  dominions,  under  the  feudal 
tenure  of  a  yearly  tribute,  attendance  at  the  Cortes  as 
one  of  the  nobles  of  the  empire,  and  service  in  war 
with  a  certain  number  of  horsemen.  He  moreover 
conferred  on  him  the  honor  of  knighthood,  and  armed 
him  with  his  own  hands. 

It  was  not  long  after  this  that  Alhamar  was  called 
upon  for  his  military  services,  to  aid  King  Ferdinand  in 
his  famous  siege  of  Seville.  The  Moorish  king  sallied 
forth  with  five  hundred  chosen  horsemen  of  Granada, 
than  whom  none  in  the  world  knew  better  how  to  man 
age  the  steed  or  wield  the  lance.  It  was  a  humiliating 
service,  however,  for  they  had  to  draw  the  sword 
against  their  brethren  of  the  faith. 

Alhamar  gained  a  melancholy  distinction  by  his 
prowess  in  this  renowned  conquest,  but  more  true 


68  THE  ALHAMBRA 

honor  by  the  humanity  which  he  prevailed  upon  Ferdi 
nand  to  introduce  into  the  usages  of  war.  When  in 
1248  the  famous  city  of  Seville  surrendered  to  the 
Castilian  monarch,  Alhamar  returned  sad  and  full  of 
care  to  his  dominions.  He  saw  the  gathering  ills  that 
menaced  the  Moslem  cause;  and  uttered  an  ejaculation 
often  used  by  him  in  moments  of  anxiety  and  trouble, 
—  "  How  straitened  and  wretched  would  be  our  life, 
if  our  hope  were  not  so  spacious  and  extensive." 
"  Que  angoste  y  miserabile  seria  nuestra  vida,  sino 
f  uera  tan  dilatada  y  espaciosa  nuestra  esperanza !  " 

As  he  approached  Granada  on  his  return  he  beheld 
arches  of  triumph  which  had  been  erected  in  honor  of 
his  martial  exploits.  The  people  thronged  forth  to 
see  him  with  impatient  joy,  for  his  benignant  rule  had 
won  all  hearts.  Wherever  he  passed  he  was  hailed 
with  acclamations  as  "El  Ghalib!"  (the  conqueror). 
Alhamar  gave  a  melancholy  shake  of  the  head  on  hear 
ing  the  appellation.  "  Wa  le  ghalib  He  Aldh!  "  (there 
is  no  conqueror  but  God)  exclaimed  he.  From  that 
time  forward  this  exclamation  became  his  motto,  and 
the  motto  of  his  descendants,  and  appears  to  this  day 
emblazoned  on  his  escutcheons  in  the  halls  of  the 
Alhambra. 

Alhamar  had  purchased  peace  by  submission  to  the 
Christian  yoke;  but  he  was  conscious  that,  with  ele 
ments  so  discordant  and  motives  for  hostility  so  deep 
and  ancient,  it  could  not  be  permanent.  Acting,  there 
fore,  upon  the  old  maxim,  "  Arm  thyself  in  peace  and 
clothe  thyself  in  summer,"  he  improved  the  present  in 
terval  of  tranquillity  by  fortifying  his  dominions,  re 
plenishing  his  arsenals,  and  promoting  those  useful 
arts  which  give  wealth  and  real  power.  He  confided 
the  command  of  his  various  cities  to  such  as  had  dis 
tinguished  themselves  by  valor  and  prudence,  and  who 
seemed  most  acceptable  to  the  people.  He  organized 
a  vigilant  police,  and  established  rigid  rules  for  the 


THE  FOUNDER  OF  THE  ALHAMBRA  69 

administration  of  justice.  The  poor  and  the  distressed 
always  found  ready  admission  to  his  presence,  and  he 
attended  personally  to  their  assistance  and  redress. 
He  erected  hospitals  for  the  blind,  the  aged,  and  in 
firm,  and  all  those  incapable  of  labor,  and  visited  them 
frequently;  not  on  set  days  with  pomp  and  form,  so 
as  to  give  time  for  everything  to  be  put  in  order,  and 
every  abuse  concealed,  but  suddenly,  and  unexpectedly, 
informing  himself,  by  actual  observation  and  close 
inquiry,  of  the  treatment  of  the  sick,  and  the  conduct 
of  those  appointed  to  administer  to  their  relief.  He 
founded  schools  and  colleges,  which  he  visited  in  the 
same  manner,  inspecting  personally  the  instruction  of 
the  youth.  He  established  butcheries  and  public  ovens, 
that  the  people  might  be  furnished  with  wholesome 
provisions  at  just  and  regular  prices.  He  introduced 
abundant  streams  of  water  into  the  city,  erecting  baths 
and  fountains,  and  constructing  aqueducts  and  canals 
to  irrigate  and  fertilize  the  Vega.  By  these  means 
prosperity  and  abundance  prevailed  in  this  beautiful 
city;  its  gates  were  thronged  with  commerce,  and  its 
warehouses  filled  with  luxuries  and  merchandise  of 
every  clime  and  country. 

He  moreover  gave  premiums  .and  privileges  to  the 
best  artisans;  improved  the  breed  of  horses  and  other 
domestic  animals;  encouraged  husbandry;  and  in 
creased  the  natural  fertility  of  the  soil  twofold  by  his 
protection,  making  the  lovely  valleys  of  his  kingdom 
to  bloom  like  gardens.  He  fostered  also  the  growth 
and  fabrication  of  silk,  until  the  looms  of  Granada 
surpassed  even  those  of  Syria  in  the  fineness  and 
beauty  of  their  productions.  He  moreover  caused  the 
mines  of  gold  and  silver  and  other  metals,  found  in 
the  mountainous  regions  of  his  dominions,  to  be  dili 
gently  worked,  and  was  the  first  king  of  Granada  who 
struck  money  of  gold  and  silver  with  his  name,  taking 
great  care  that  the  coins  should  be  skilfully  executed. 


70  THE  ALHAMBRA 

It  was  towards  the  middle  of  the  thirteenth  century, 
and  just  after  his  return  from  the  siege  of  Seville, 
that  he  commenced  the  splendid  palace  of  the  Alham- 
bra;  superintending  the  building  of  it  in  person; 
mingling  frequently  among  the  artists  and  workmen, 
and  directing  their  labors. 

Though  thus  magnificent  in  his  works  and  great  in 
his  enterprises,  he  was  simple  in  his  person  and  mod 
erate  in  his  enjoyments.  His  dress  was  not  merely 
void  of  splendor,  but  so  plain  as  not  to  distinguish 
him  from  his  subjects.  His  harem  boasted  but  few 
beauties,  and  these  he  visited  but  seldom,  though  they 
were  entertained  with  great  magnificence.  His  wives 
were  daughters  of  the  principal  nobles,  and  were 
treated  by  him  as  friends  and  rational  companions. 
What  is  more,  he  managed  to  make  them  live  in  friend 
ship  with  one  another.  He  passed  much  of  his  time 
in  his  gardens;  especially  in  those  of  the  Alhambra, 
which  he  had  stored  with  the  rarest  plants  and  the 
most  beautiful  and  aromatic  flowers.  Here  he  de 
lighted  himself  in  reading  histories,  or  in  causing 
them  to  be  read  and  related  to  him,  and  sometimes, 
in  intervals  of  leisure,  employed  himself  in  the  instruc 
tion  of  his  three  sons,  for  whom  he  had  provided  the 
most  learned  and  virtuous  masters. 

As  he  had  frankly  and  voluntarily  offered  himself 
a  tributary  vassal  to  Ferdinand,  so  he  always  remained 
loyal  to  his  word,  giving  him  repeated  proofs  of 
fidelity  and  attachment.  When  that  renowned  mon 
arch  died  in  Seville  in  1254,  Alhamar  sent  ambassadors 
to  condole  with  his  successor,  Alonzo  X.,  and  with  them 
a  gallant  train  of  a  hundred  Moorish  cavaliers  of  dis 
tinguished  rank,  who  were  to  attend  round  the  royal 
bier  during  the  funeral  ceremonies,  each  bearing  a 
lighted  taper.  This  grand  testimonial  of  respect  was 
repeated  by  the  Moslem  monarch  during  the  remainder 
of  his  life  on  each  anniversary  of  the  death  of  King 


THE  FOUNDER  OF  THE  ALHAMBRA  71 

Ferdinand  el  Santo,  when  the  hundred  Moorish 
knights  repaired  from  Granada  to  Seville,  and  took 
their  stations  with  lighted  tapers  in  the  centre  of 
the  sumptuous  cathedral  round  the  cenotaph  of  the 
illustrious  deceased. 

Alhamar  retained  his  faculties  and  vigor  to  an  ad 
vanced  age.  In  his  seventy-ninth  year  (A.  D.  1272) 
he  took  the  field  on  horseback,  accompanied  by  the 
flower  of  his  chivalry,  to  resist  an  invasion  of  his 
territories.  As  the  army  sallied  forth  from  Granada, 
one  of  the  principal  adalides,  or  guides,  who  rode  in 
the  advance,  accidentally  broke  his  lance  against  the 
arch  of  the  gate.  The  counsellors  of  the  king,  alarmed 
by  this  circumstance,  which  was  considered  an  evil 
omen,  entreated  him  to  return.  Their  supplications 
were  in  vain.  The  king  persisted,  and  at  noontide 
the  omen,  say  the  Moorish  chroniclers,  was  fatally 
fulfilled.  Alhamar  was  suddenly  struck  with  illness, 
and  had  nearly  fallen  from  his  horse.  He  was  placed 
on  a  litter,  and  borne  back  towards  Granada,  but  his 
illness  increased  to  such  a  degree  that  they  were 
obliged  to  pitch  his  tent  in  the  Vega.  His  physicians 
were  filled  with  consternation,  not  knowing  what 
remedy  to  prescribe.  In  a  few  hours  he  died,  vomit 
ing  blood  and  in  violent  convulsions.  The  Castilian 
prince,  Don  Philip,  brother  of  Alonzo  X.,  was  by  his 
side  when  he  expired.  His  body  was  embalmed,  en 
closed  in  a  silver  coffin,  and  buried  in  the  Alhambra 
in  a  sepulchre  of  precious  marble,  amidst  the  unfeigned 
lamentations  of  his  subjects,  who  bewailed  him  as 
a  parent. 

I  have  said  that  he  was  the  first  of  the  illustrious 
line  of  Nasar  that  sat  upon  a  throne.  I  may  add  that 
he  was  the  founder  of  a  brilliant  kingdom  which  will 
ever  be  famous  in  history  and  romance  as  the  last  rally- 
ing-place  of  Moslem  power  and  splendor  in  the  Penin 
sula.  Though  his  undertakings  were  vast,  and  his  ex- 


72  THE  ALHAMBRA 

penditures  immense,  yet  his  treasury  was  always  full; 
and  this  seeming  contradiction  gave  rise  to  the  story 
that  he  was  versed  in  magic  art,  and  possessed  of  the 
secret  for  transmuting  baser  metals  into  gold.  Those 
who  have  attended  to  his  domestic  policy,  as  here  set 
forth,  will  easily  understand  the  natural  magic  and 
simple  alchemy  which  made  his  ample  treasury  to 
overflow. 


To  the  foregoing  particulars,  concerning  the  Moslem 
princes  who  once  reigned  in  these  halls,  I  shall  add  a 
brief  notice  of  the  monarch  who  completed  and  em 
bellished  the  Alhambra.  Yusef  Abul  Hagig  (or,  as 
it  is  sometimes  written,  Haxis)  was  another  prince  of 
the  noble  line  of  Nasar.  He  ascended  the  throne  of 
Granada  in  the  year  of  grace  1333,  and  is  described 
by  Moslem  writers  as  having  a  noble  presence,  great 
bodily  strength,  and  a  fair  complexion;  and  the  maj 
esty  of  his  countenance  increased,  say  they,  by  suffer 
ing  his  beard  to  grow  to  a  dignified  length  and  dyeing 
it  black.  His  manners  were  gentle,  affable,  and  urbane ; 
he  carried  the  benignity  of  his  nature  into  warfare, 
prohibiting  all  wanton  cruelty,  and  enjoining  mercy 
and  protection  towards  women  and  children,  the  aged 
and  infirm,  and  all  friars  and  other  persons  of  holy 
and  recluse  life.  But  though  he  possessed  the  courage 
common  to  generous  spirits,  the  bent  of  his  genius 
was  more  for  peace  than  war,  and  though  repeatedly 
obliged  by  circumstances  to  take  up  arms,  he  was 
generally  unfortunate. 

Among  other  ill-starred  enterprises,   he  undertook 
a  great   campaign,  in  conjunction  with  the  king  of 


YUSEF  ABUL  HAGIG  73 

Morocco,  against  the  kings  of  Castile  and  Portugal,  but 
was  defeated  in  the  memorable  battle  of  Salado,  which 
had  nearly  proved  a  death-blow  to  the  Moslem  power 
in  Spain. 

Yusef  obtained  a  long  truce  after  this  defeat,  and 
now  his  character  shone  forth  in  its  true  lustre.  He 
had  an  excellent  memory,  and  had  stored  his  mind 
with  science  and  erudition ;  his  taste  was  altogether 
elegant  and  refined,  and  he  was  accounted  the  best 
poet  of  his  time.  Devoting  himself  to  the  instruction 
of  his  people  and  the  improvement  of  their  morals  and 
manners,  he  established  schools  in  all  the  villages,  with 
simple  and  uniform  systems  of  education;  he  obliged 
every  hamlet  of  more  than  twelve  houses  to  have  a 
mosque,  and  purified  the  ceremonies  of  religion,  and 
the  festivals  and  popular  amusements,  from  various 
abuses  and  indecorums  which  had  crept  into  them.  He 
attended  vigilantly  to  the  police  of  the  city,  establishing 
nocturnal  guards  and  patrols,  and  superintending  all 
municipal  concerns.  His  attention  was  also  directed 
towards  finishing  the  great  architectural  works  com 
menced  by  his  predecessors,  and  erecting  others  on  his 
own  plans.  The  Alhambra,  which  had  been  founded 
by  the  good  Alhamar,  was  now  completed.  Yusef  con 
structed  the  beautiful  Gate  of  Justice,  forming  the 
grand  entrance  to  the  fortress,  which  he  finished  in 
1348.  He  likewise  adorned  many  of  the  courts  and 
halls  of  the  palace,  as  may  be  seen  by  the  inscriptions 
on  the  walls,  in  which  his  name  repeatedly  occurs.  He 
built  also  the  noble  Alcazar  or  citadel  of  Malaga,  now 
unfortunately  a  mere  mass  of  crumbling  ruins,  but 
which  most  probably  exhibited  in  its  interior  similar 
elegance  and  magnificence  with  the  Alhambra. 

The  genius  of  a  sovereign  stamps  a  character  upon 
his  time.  The  nobles  of  Granada,  imitating  the  elegant 
and  graceful  taste  of  Yusef.  soon  filled  the  city  of 
Granada  with  magnificent  palaces;  the  halls  of  which 


74  THE  ALHAMBRA 

were  paved  with  mosaic,  the  walls  and  ceilings  wrought 
in  fretwork,  and  delicately  gilded  and  painted  with 
azure,  vermilion,  and  other  brilliant  colors,  or  minutely 
inlaid  with  cedar  and  other  precious  woods ;  specimens 
of  which  have  survived,  in  all  their  lustre,  the  lapse  of 
several  centuries.  Many  of  the  houses  had  fountains, 
which  threw  up  jets  of  water  to  refresh  and  cool  the 
air.  They  had  lofty  towers  also,  of  wood  or  stone, 
curiously  carved  and  ornamented,  and  covered  with 
plates  of  metal  that  glittered  in  the  sun.  Such  was  the 
refined  and  delicate  taste  in  architecture  that  prevailed 
among  this  elegant  people;  insomuch  that,  to  use  the 
beautiful  simile  of  an  Arabian  writer,  "  Granada,  in 
the  days  of  Yusef,  was  as  a  silver  vase  filled  with  emer 
alds  and  jacinths." 

One  anecdote  will  be  sufficient  to  show  the  magna 
nimity  of  this  generous  prince.  The  long  truce  which 
had  succeeded  the  battle  of  Salado  was  at  an  end,  and 
every  effort  of  Yusef  to  renew  it  was  in  vain.  His 
deadly  foe,  Alfonso  XL  of  Castile,  took  the  field  with 
great  force,  and  laid  siege  to  Gibraltar.  Yusef  reluc 
tantly  took  up  arms,  and  sent  troops  to  the  relief  of 
the  place.  In  the  midst  of  his  anxiety,  he  received  ti 
dings  that  his  dreaded  foe  had  suddenly  fallen  a  victim 
to  the  plague.  Instead  of  manifesting  exultation  on 
the  occasion,  Yusef  called  to  mind  the  great  qualities 
of  the  deceased,  and  was  touched  with  a  noble  sorrow. 
"  Alas !  "  cried  he,  "  the  world  has  lost  one  of  its  most 
excellent  princes ;  a  sovereign  who  knew  how  to  honor 
merit,  whether  in  friend  or  foe !  " 

The  Spanish  chroniclers  themselves  bear  witness  to 
this  magnanimity.  According  to  their  accounts,  the 
Moorish  cavaliers  partook  of  the  sentiment  of  their 
king,  and  put  on  mourning  for  the  death  of  Alfonzo. 
Even  those  of  Gibraltar,  who  had  been  so  closely  in 
vested,  when  they  knew  that  the  hostile  monarch  lay 
dead  in  his  camp,  determined  among  themselves  that 


YUSEF  ABUL  HAGIG  75 

no  hostile  movement  should  be  made  against  the  Chris 
tians.  The  day  on  which  the  camp  was  broken  up,  and 
the  army  departed,  bearing  the  corpse  of  Alfonzo,  the 
Moors  issued  in  multitudes  from  Gibraltar,  and  stood 
mute  and  melancholy,  watching  the  mournful  pageant. 
The  same  reverence  for  the  deceased  was  observed  by 
all  the  Moorish  commanders  on  the  frontiers,  who 
suffered  the  funeral  train  to  pass  in  safety,  bearing  the 
corpse  of  the  Christian  sovereign  from  Gibraltar  to 
Seville.1 

Yusef  did  not  long  survive  the  enemy  he  had  so  gen 
erously  deplored.  In  the  year  1354,  as  he  was  one  day 
praying  in  the  royal  mosque  of  the  Alhambra,  a  maniac 
rushed  suddenly  from  behind  and  plunged  a  dagger  in 
his  side.  The  cries  of  the  king  brought  his  guards  and 
courtiers  to  his  assistance.  They  found  him  weltering 
in  his  blood.  He  made  some  signs  as  if  to  speak,  but 
his  words  were  unintelligible.  They  bore  him  senseless 
to  the  royal  apartments,  where  he  expired  almost  imme 
diately.  The  murderer  was  cut  to  pieces,  and  his  limbs 
burnt  in  public  to  gratify  the  fury  of  the  populace. 

The  body  of  the  king  was  interred  in  a  superb  sep 
ulchre  of  white  marble ;  a  long  epitaph,  in  letters  of 
gold  upon  an  azure  ground,  recorded  his  virtues. 
"  Here  lies  a  king  and  martyr,  of  an  illustrious  line, 
gentle,  learned,  and  virtuous ;  renowned  for  the  graces 
of  his  person  and  his  manners ;  whose  clemency,  piety, 
and  benevolence  were  extolled  throughout  the  kingdom 
of  Granada.  He  was  a  great  prince;  an  illustrious 
captain ;  a  sharp  sword  of  the  Moslems ;  a  valiant 
standard-bearer  among  the  most  potent  monarchs,"  &c. 

The  mosque  still  exists  which  once  resounded  with 

1  "  Y  los  moros  que  estaban  en  la  villa  y  Castillo  de  Gibraltar 
despues  que  sopieron  que  el  Rey  Don  Alonzo  era  muerto,  orde- 
naron  entresi  que  ninguno  non  fuesse  osado  de  fazer  ningun 
movimiento  contra  los  Christianos,  ni  mover  pelear  contra  ellos, 
estovieron  todos  quedos  y  dezian  entre  ellos  qui  aquel  diamuriera 
un  noble  rey  y  Gran  principe  del  mundo." 


76  THE  ALHAMBRA 

the  dying  cries  of  Yusef,  but  the  monument  which  re 
corded  his  virtues  has  long  since  disappeared.  His 
name,  however,  remains  inscribed  among  the  delicate 
and  graceful  ornaments  of  the  Alhambra,  and  will  be 
perpetuated  in  connection  with  this  renowned  pile, 
which  it  was  his  pride  and  delight  to  beautify. 


THE   MYSTERIOUS   CHAMBERS 

As  I  was  rambling  one  day  about  the  Moorish  halls, 
my  attention  was,  for  the  first  time,  attracted  to  a  door 
in  a  remote  gallery,  communicating  apparently  with 
some  part  of  the  Alhambra  which  I  had  not  yet  ex 
plored.  I  attempted  to  open  it,  but  it  was  locked.  I 
knocked,  but  no  one  answered,  and  the  sound  seemed 
to  reverberate  through  empty  chambers.  Here  then 
was  a  mystery.  Here  was  the  haunted  wing  of  the 
castle.  How  was  I  to  get  at  the  dark  secrets  here 
shut  up  from  the  public  eye  ?  Should  I  come  privately 
at  night  with  lamp  and  sword,  according  to  the  prying 
custom  of  heroes  of  romance;  or  should  I  endeavor 
to  draw  the  secret  from  Pepe  the  stuttering  gardener; 
or  the  ingenuous  Dolores,  or  the  loquacious  Mateo? 
Or  should  I  go  frankly  and  openly  to  Dame  Antonia 
the  chatelaine,  and  ask  her  all  about  it?  I  chose  the 
latter  course,  as  being  the  simplest  though  the  least 
romantic ;  and  found,  somewhat  to  my  disappointment, 
that  there  was  no  mystery  in  the  case.  I  was  welcome 
to  explore  the  apartment,  and  there  was  the  key. 

Thus  provided,  I  returned  forthwith  to  the  door.  It 
opened,  as  I  had  surmised,  to  a  range  of  vacant  cham 
bers;  but  they  were  quite  different  from  the  rest  of 
the  palace.  The  architecture,  though  rich  and  anti 
quated,  was  European.  There  was  nothing  Moorish 
about  it.  The  first  two  rooms  were  lofty ;  the  ceilings, 


THE  MYSTERIOUS  CHAMBERS         77 

broken  in  many  places,  were  of  cedar,  deeply  panelled 
and  skilfully  carved  with  fruits  and  flowers,  inter 
mingled  with  grotesque  masks  or  faces. 

The  walls  had  evidently  in  ancient  times  been  hung 
with  damask ;  but  now  were  naked,  and  scrawled  over 
by  that  class  of  aspiring  travellers  who  defile  noble 
monuments  with  their  worthless  names.  The  win 
dows,  dismantled  and  open  to  wind  and  weather,  looked 
out  into  a  charming  little  secluded  garden,  where  an 
alabaster  fountain  sparkled  among  roses  and  myrtles, 
and  was  surrounded  by  orange  and  citron  trees,  some 
of  which  flung  their  branches  into  the  chambers.  Be 
yond  these  rooms  were  two  saloons,  longer  but  less 
lofty,  looking  also  into  the  garden.  In  the  compart 
ments  of  the  panelled  ceilings  were  baskets  of  fruit  and 
garlands  of  flowers,  painted  by  no  mean  hand,  and  in 
tolerable  preservation.  The  walls  also  had  been  painted 
in  fresco  in  the  Italian  style,  but  the  paintings  were 
nearly  obliterated ;  the  windows  were  in  the  same 
shattered  state  with  those  of  the  other  chambers.  This 
fanciful  suite  of  rooms  terminated  in  an  open  gallery 
with  balustrades,  running  at  right  angles  along  another 
side  of  the  garden.  The  whole  apartment,  so  delicate 
and  elegant  in  its  decorations,  so  choice  and  seques 
tered  in  its  situation  along  this  retired  little  garden, 
and  so  different  in  architecture  from  the  neighboring 
halls,  awakened  an  interest  in  its  history.  I  found  on 
inquiry  that  it  was  an  apartment  fitted  up  by  Italian 
artists  in  the  early  part  of  the  last  century,  at  the  time 
when  Philip  V.  and  his  second  wife,  the  beautiful  Eliz- 
abetta  of  Farnese,  daughter  of  the  Duke  of  Parma, 
were  expected  at  the  Alhambra.  It  was  destined  for 
the  queen  and  the  ladies  of  her  train.  One  of  the 
loftiest  chambers  had  been  her  sleeping- room.  A  nar 
row  staircase,  now  walled  up,  led  up  to  a  delightful 
belvidere,  originally  a  mirador  of  the  Moorish  sulta 
nas,  communicating  with  the  harem;  but  which  was 


78  THE  ALHAMBRA 

fitted  up  as  a  boudoir  for  the  fair  Elizabetta,  and  still 
retains  the  name  of  d  tocador  de  la  Reyna,  or  the 
queen's  toilette. 

One  window  of  the  royal  sleeping- room  commanded 
a  prospect  of  the  Generalife  and  its  embowered  ter 
races;  another  looked  out  into  the  little  secluded  gar 
den  I  have  mentioned,  which  was  decidedly  Moorish 
in  its  character,  and  also  had  its  history.  It  was  in 
fact  the  garden  of  Lindaraxa,  so  often  mentioned  in 
descriptions  of  the  Alhambra ;  but  who  this  Lindaraxa 
was  I  had  never  heard  explained.  A  little  research 
gave  me  the  few  particulars  known  about  her.  She 
was  a  Moorish  beauty  who  flourished  in  the  court  of 
Muhamed  the  Left-Handed,  and  was  the  daughter  of 
his  loyal  adherent,  the  alcayde  of  Malaga,  who  shel 
tered  him  in  his  city  when  driven  from  the  throne.  On 
regaining  his  crown,  the  alcayde  was  rewarded  for  his 
fidelity.  His  daughter  had  her  apartment  in  the  Alham 
bra,  and  was  given  by  the  king  in  marriage  to  Nasar, 
a  young  Cetimerien  prince  descended  from  Aben  Hud 
the  Just.  Their  espousals  were  doubtless  celebrated 
in  the  royal  palace,  and  their  honeymoon  may  have 
passed  among  these  very  bowers.1 

Four  centuries  had  elapsed  since  the  fair  Lindaraxa 
passed  away,  yet  how  much  of  the  fragile  beauty  of 
the  scenes  she  inhabited  remained !  The  garden  still 
bloomed  in  which  she  delighted ;  the  fountain  still  pre 
sented  the  crystal  mirror  in  which  her  charms  may 
once  have  been  reflected ;  the  alabaster,  it  is  true,  had 
lost  its  whiteness;  the  basin  beneath,  overrun  with 

1  Una  de  las  cosas  en  que  tienen  precisa  intervencion  los  Reyes 
Moros  as  en  el  matrimonio  de  sus  grandes :  de  aqui  nace  que  todos 
los  senores  llegadas  a  la  persona  real  si  casan  en  palacio,  y  siempre 
huvo  su  quarto  destinado  para  esta  ceremonia. 

One  of  the  things  in  which  the  Moorish  kings  interfered  was 
in  the  marriage  of  their  nobles :  hence  it  came  that  all  the  senors 
attached  to  the  royal  person  were  married  in  the  palace ;  and 
there  was  always  a  chamber  destined  for  the  ceremony.  —  Paseos 
par  Granada,  Paseo  XXI. 


THE  MYSTERIOUS  CHAMBERS         79 

weeds,  had  become  the  lurking-place  of  the  lizard,  but 
there  was  something  in  the  very  decay  that  enhanced 
the  interest  of  the  scene,  speaking  as  it  did  of  that 
mutability,  the  irrevocable  lot  of  man  and  all  his  works. 

The  desolation  too  of  these  chambers,  once  the  abode 
of  the  proud  and  elegant  Elizabetta,  had  a  more  touch 
ing  charm  for  me  than  if  I  had  beheld  them  in  their 
pristine  splendor,  glittering  with  the  pageantry  of  a 
court. 

When  I  returned  to  my  quarters,  in  the  governor's 
apartment,  everything  seemed  tame  and  commonplace 
after  the  poetic  region  I  had  left.  The  thought  sug 
gested  itself :  Why  could  I  not  change  my  quarters  to 
these  vacant  chambers  ?  that  would  indeed  be  living  in 
the  Alhambra,  surrounded  by  its  gardens  and  foun 
tains,  as  in  the  time  of  the  Moorish  sovereigns.  I 
proposed  the  change  to  Dame  Antonia  and  her  family, 
and  it  occasioned  vast  surprise.  They  could  not  con 
ceive  any  rational  inducement  for  the  choice  of  an 
apartment  so  forlorn,  remote,  and  solitary.  Dolores 
exclaimed  at  its  frightful  loneliness ;  nothing  but  bats 
and  owls  flitting  about,  —  and  then  a  fox  and  wildcat 
kept  in  the  vaults  of  the  neighboring  baths,  and  roamed 
about  at  night.  The  good  Tia  had  more  reasonable 
objections.  The  neighborhood  was  infested  by  va 
grants  ;  gypsies  swarmed  in  the  caverns  of  the  adjacent 
hills ;  the  palace  was  ruinous  and  easy  to  be  entered 
in  many  places ;  the  rumor  of  a  stranger  quartered 
alone  in  one  of  the  remote  and  ruined  apartments,  out 
of  the  hearing  of  the  rest  of  the  inhabitants,  might 
tempt  unwelcome  visitors  in  the  night,  especially  as 
foreigners  were  always  supposed  to  be  well  stocked 
with  money.  I  was  not  to  be  diverted  from  my  humor, 
however,  and  my  will  was  law  with  these  good  people. 
So,  calling  in  the  assistance  of  a  carpenter,  and  the 
over  officious  Mateo  Ximenes,  the  doors  and  windows 
were  soon  placed  in  a  state  of  tolerable  security,  and 


8o  THE  ALHAMBRA 

the  sleeping-room  of  the  stately  Elizabetta  prepared 
for  my  reception.  Mateo  kindly  volunteered  as  a  body 
guard  to  sleep  in  my  antechamber;  but  I  did  not  think 
it  worth  while  to  put  his  valor  to  the  proof. 

With  all  the  hardihood  I  had  assumed  and  all  the 
precautions  I  had  taken,  I  must  confess  the  first  night 
passed  in  these  quarters  was  inexpressibly  dreary.  I  do 
not  think  it  was  so  much  the  apprehension  of  dangers 
from  without  that  affected  me,  as  the  character  of  the 
place  itself,  with  all  its  strange  associations :  the  deeds 
of  violence  committed  there ;  the  tragical  ends  of  many 
of  those  who  had  once  reigned  there  in  splendor.  As 
I  passed  beneath  the  fated  halls  of  the  Tower  of  Co- 
mares  on  the  way  to  my  chamber,  I  called  to  mind  a 
quotation,  that  used  to  thrill  me  in  the  days  of  boyhood : 

Fate  sits  on  these  dark  battlements  and  frowns; 
And,  as  the  portal  opens  to  receive  me, 
A  voice  in  sullen  echoes  through  the  courts 
Tells  of  a  nameless  deed ! 

The  whole  family  escorted  me  to  my  chamber,  and 
took  leave  of  me  as  of  one  engaged  on  a  perilous  enter 
prise;  and  when  I  heard  their  retreating  steps  die 
away  along  the  waste  antechambers  and  echoing  gal 
leries,  and  turned  the  key  of  my  door,  I  was  reminded 
of  those  hobgoblin  stories,  where  the  hero  is  left  to 
accomplish  the  adventure  of  an  enchanted  house. 

Even  the  thoughts  of  the  fair  Elizabetta  and  the 
beauties  of  her  court,  who  had  once  graced  these  cham 
bers,  now,  by  a  perversion  of  fancy,  added  to  the 
gloom.  Here  was  the  scene  of  their  transient  gayety 
and  loveliness ;  here  were  the  very  traces  of  their  ele 
gance  and  enjoyment;  but  what  and  where  were  they? 
Dust  and  ashes!  tenants  of  the  tomb!  phantoms  of 
the  memory ! 

A  vague  and  indescribable  awe  was  creeping  over 
me.  I  would  fain  have  ascribed  it  to  the  thoughts  of 
robbers  awakened  by  the  evening's  conversation,  but 


THE  MYSTERIOUS  CHAMBERS         81 

I  felt  it  was  something  more  unreal  and  absurd.  The 
long-buried  superstitions  of  the  nursery  were  reviv 
ing,  and  asserting  their  power  over  my  imagination. 
Everything  began  to  be  affected  by  the  working  of  my 
mind.  The  whispering  of  the  wind  among  the  citron- 
trees  beneath  my  window  had  something  sinister.  I 
cast  my  eyes  into  the  garden  of  Lindaraxa ;  the  groves 
presented  a  gulf  of  shadows ;  the  thickets,  indistinct 
and  ghastly  shapes.  I  was  glad  to  close  the  window, 
but  my  chamber  itself  became  infected.  There  was  a 
slight  rustling  noise  overhead ;  a  bat  suddenly  emerged 
from  a  broken  panel  of  the  ceiling,  flitting  about  the 
room  and  athwart  my  solitary  lamp ;  and  as  the  fateful 
bird  almost  flouted  my  face  with  his  noiseless  wing,  the 
grotesque  faces  carved  in  high  relief  in  the  cedar 
ceiling,  whence  he  had  emerged,  seemed  to  mope  and 
mow  at  me. 

Rousing  myself,  and  half  smiling  at  this  temporary 
weakness,  I  resolved  to  brave  it  out  in  the  true  spirit 
of  the  hero  of  the  enchanted  house;  so,  taking  lamp 
in  hand,  I  sallied  forth  to  make  a  tour  of  the  palace. 
Notwithstanding  every  mental  exertion  the  task  was 
a  severe  one.  I  had  to  traverse  waste  halls  and  myste 
rious  galleries,  where  the  rays  of  the  lamp  extended 
but  a  short  distance  around  me.  I  walked,  as  it  were, 
in  a  mere  halo  of  light,  walled  in  by  impenetrable 
darkness.  The  vaulted  corridors  were  as  caverns ;  the 
ceilings  of  the  halls  were  lost  in  gloom.  I  recalled 
all  that  had  been  said  of  the  danger  from  interlopers 
in  these  remote  and  ruined  apartments.  Might  not 
some  vagrant  foe  be  lurking  before  or  behind  me,  in 
the  outer  darkness?  My  own  shadow,  cast  upon  the 
wall,  began  to  disturb  me.  The  echoes  of  my  own  foot 
steps  along  the  corridors  made  me  pause  and  look 
round.  I  was  traversing  scenes  fraught  with  dismal 
recollections.  One  dark  passage  led  down  to  the 
mosque  where  Yusef,  the  Moorish  monarch,  the  fin- 

6 


82  THE  ALHAMBRA 

isher  of  the  Alhambra,  had  been  basely  murdered.  In 
another  place  I  trod  the  gallery  where  another  monarch 
had  been  struck  down  by  the  poniard  of  a  relative 
whom  he  had  thwarted  in  his  love. 

A  low  murmuring  sound,  as  of  stifled  voices  and 
clanking  chains,  now  reached  me.  It  seemed  to  come 
from  the  Hall  of  the  Abencerrages.  I  knew  it  to  be 
the  rush  of  water  through  subterranean  channels,  but 
it  sounded  strangely  in  the  night,  and  reminded  me  of 
the  dismal  stories  to  which  it  had  given  rise. 

Soon,  however,  my  ear  was  assailed  by  sounds  too 
fearfully  real  to  be  the  work  of  fancy.  As  I  was  cross 
ing  the  Hall  of  Ambassadors,  low  moans  and  broken 
ejaculations  rose,  as  it  were,  from  beneath  my  feet. 
I  paused  and  listened.  They  then  appeared  to  be  out 
side  of  the  tower  —  then  again  within.  Then  broke 
forth  howlings  as  of  an  animal  —  then  stifled  shrieks 
and  inarticulate  ravings.  Heard  in  that  dead  hour  and 
singular  place,  the  effect  was  thrilling.  I  had  no  desire 
for  further  perambulation ;  but  returned  to  my  cham 
ber  with  infinitely  more  alacrity  than  I  had  sallied 
forth,  and  drew  my  breath  more  freely  when  once 
more  within  its  walls  and  the  door  bolted  behind  me. 
When  I  awoke  in  the  morning,  with  the  sun  shining 
in  at  my  window  and  lighting  up  every  part  of  the 
building  with  his  cheerful  and  truth-telling  beams,  I 
could  scarcely  recall  the  shadows  and  fancies  conjured 
up  by  the  gloom  of  the  preceding  night ;  or  believe  that 
the  scenes  around  me,  so  naked  and  apparent,  could 
have  been  clothed  with  such  imaginary  horrors. 

Still,  the  dismal  howlings  and  ejaculations  I  had 
heard  were  not  ideal ;  they  were  soon  accounted  for, 
however,  by  my  handmaid  Dolores :  being  the  rav 
ings  of  a  poor  maniac,  a  brother  of  her  aunt,  who 
was  subject  to  violent  paroxysms,  during  which  he 
was  confined  in  a  vaulted  room  beneath  the  Hall  of 
Ambassadors. 


ALFRED  SANTELL 

THE  MYSTERIOUS  CHAMBERS         83 

In  the  course  of  a  few  evenings  a  thorough  change 
took  place  in  the  scene  and  its  associations.  The 
moon,  which  when  I  took  possession  of  my  new  apart 
ments  was  invisible,  gradually  gained  each  evening 
upon  the  darkness  of  the  night,  and  at  length  rolled 
in  full  splendor  above  the  towers,  pouring  a  flood  of 
tempered  light  into  every  court  and  hall.  The  garden 
beneath  my  window,  before  wrapped  in  gloom,  was 
gently  lighted  up;  the  orange-  and  citron-trees  were 
tipped  with  silver;  the  fountain  sparkled  in  the  moon 
beams,  and  even  the  blush  of  the  rose  was  faintly 
visible. 

I  now  felt  the  poetic  merit  of  the  Arabic  inscription 
on  the  walls,  —  "  How  beauteous  is  this  garden ;  where 
the  flowers  of  the  earth  vie  with  the  stars  of  heaven. 
What  can  compare  with  the  vase  of  yon  alabaster 
fountain  filled  with  crystal  water?  nothing  but  the 
moon  in  her  fulness,  shining  in  the  midst  of  an  un 
clouded  sky !  " 

On  such  heavenly  nights  I  would  sit  for  hours  at 
my  window  inhaling  the  sweetness  of  the  garden,  and 
musing  on  the  checkered  fortunes  of  those  whose 
history  was  dimly  shadowed  out  in  the  elegant  memo 
rials  around.  Sometimes,  when  all  was  quiet,  and  the 
clock  from  the  distant  cathedral  of  Granada  struck  the 
midnight  hour,  I  have  sallied  out  on  another  tour  and 
wandered  over  the  whole  building;  but  how  different 
from  my  first  tour !  No  longer  dark  and  mysterious ; 
no  longer  peopled  with  shadowy  foes ;  no  longer  re 
calling  scenes  of  violence  and  murder;  all  was  open, 
spacious,  beautiful;  everything  called  up  pleasing  and 
romantic  fancies ;  Lindaraxa  once  more  walked  in  her 
garden ;  the  gay  chivalry  of  Moslem  Granada  once 
more  glittered  about  the  Court  of  Lions!  Who  can 
do  justice  to  a  moonlight  night  in  such  a  climate  and 
such  a  place?  The  temperature  of  a  summer  midnight 
in  Andalusia  is  perfectly  ethereal.  We  seem  lifted  up 


84  THE  ALHAMBRA 

into  a  purer  atmosphere;  we  feel  a  serenity  of  soul, 
a  buoyancy  of  spirits,  an  elasticity  of  frame,  which  ren 
der  mere  existence  happiness.  But  when  moonlight 
is  added  to  all  this,  the  effect  is  like  enchantment. 
Under  its  plastic  sway  the  Alhambra  seems  to  regain 
its  pristine  glories.  Every  rent  and  chasm  of  time; 
every  mouldering  tint  and  weather-stain  is  gone;  the 
marble  resumes  its  original  whiteness ;  the  long  colon 
nades  brighten  in  the  moonbeams;  the  halls  are  illu 
minated  with  a  softened  radiance,  —  we  tread  the  en 
chanted  palace  of  an  Arabian  tale! 

What  a  delight,  at  such  a  time,  to  ascend  to  the 
little  airy  pavilion  of  the  queen's  toilette  (el  tocador  de 
la  reyna),  which,  like  a  bird-cage,  overhangs  the  valley 
of  the  Darro,  and  gaze  from  its  light  arcades  upon  the 
moonlight  prospect !  To  the  right,  the  swelling  moun 
tains  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  robbed  of  their  ruggedness 
and  softened  into  a  fairy  land,  with  their  snowy  sum 
mits  gleaming  like  silver  clouds  against  the  deep  blue 
sky.  And  then  to  lean  over  the  parapet  of  the  Tocador 
and  gaze  down  upon  Granada  and  the  Albaycin  spread 
out  like  a  map  below;  all  buried  in  deep  repose;  the 
white  palaces  and  convents  sleeping  in  the  moonshine, 
and  beyond  all  these  the  vapory  Vega  fading  away  like 
a  dreamland  in  the  distance. 

Sometimes  the  faint  click  of  castanets  rise  from  the 
Alameda,  where  some  gay  Andalusians  are  dancing 
away  the  summer  night.  Sometimes  the  dubious  tones 
of  a  guitar  and  the  notes  of  an  amorous  voice,  tell  per 
chance  the  whereabout  of  some  moonstruck  lover  ser 
enading  his  lady's  window. 

Such  is  a  faint  picture  of  the  moonlight  nights  I 
have  passed  loitering  about  the  courts  and  halls  and 
balconies  of  this  most  suggestive  pile ;  "  feeding  my 
fancy  with  sugared  suppositions,"  and  enjoying  that 
mixture  of  reverie  and  sensation  which  steal  away 
existence  in  a  southern  climate;  so  that  it  has  been 


FROM  THE  TOWER  OF  COMARES      85 

almost  morning  before  I  have  retired  to  bed,  and  been 
lulled  to  sleep  by  the  falling  waters  of  the  fountain  of 
Lindaraxa. 


PANORAMA    FROM    THE    TOWER    OF 
COMARES 

IT  is  a  serene  and  beautiful  morning:  the  sun  has  not 
gained  sufficient  power  to  destroy  the  freshness  of  the 
night.  What  a  morning  to  mount  to  the  summit  of 
the  Tower  of  Comares,  and  take  a  bird's-eye  view  of 
Granada  and  its  environs ! 

Come  then,  worthy  reader  and  comrade,  follow  my 
steps  into  this  vestibule,  ornamented  with  rich  tracery, 
which  opens  into  the  Hall  of  Ambassadors.  We  will 
not  enter  the  hall,  however,  but  turn  to  this  small  door 
opening  into  the  wall.  Have  a  care!  here  are  steep 
winding  steps  and  but  scanty  light ;  yet  up  this  narrow, 
obscure,  and  spiral  staircase,  the  proud  monarchs  of 
Granada  and  their  queens  have  often  ascended  to  the 
battlements  to  watch  the  approach  of  invading  armies, 
or  gaze  with  anxious  hearts  on  the  battles  in  the  Vega. 

At  length  we  have  reached  the  terraced  roof,  and 
may  take  breath  for  a  moment,  while  we  cast  a  general 
eye  over  the  splendid  panorama  of  city  and  country; 
of  rocky  mountain,  verdant  valley,  and  fertile  plain ; 
of  castle,  cathedral,  Moorish  towers,  and  Gothic  domes, 
crumbling  ruins,  and  blooming  groves.  Let  us  ap 
proach  the  battlements,  and  cast  our  eyes  immediately 
below.  See,  on  this  side  we  have  the  whole  plain  of 
the  Alhambra  laid  open  to  us,  and  can  look  down  into 
its  courts  and  gardens.  At  the  foot  of  the  tower  is 
the  Court  of  the  Alberca,  with  its  great  tank  or  fish- 
pool,  bordered  with  flowers;  and  yonder  is  the  Court 


86  THE  ALHAMBRA 

of  Lions,  with  its  famous  fountain,  and  its  light  Moor 
ish  arcades;  and  in  the  centre  of  the  pile  is  the  little 
garden  of  Lindaraxa,  buried  in  the  heart  of  the  build 
ing,  with  its  roses  and  citrons  and  shrubbery  of  emerald 
green. 

That  belt  of  battlements,  studded  with  square  towers, 
straggling  round  the  whole  brow  of  the  hill,  is  the 
outer  boundary  of  the  fortress.  Some  of  the  towers, 
you  may  perceive,  are  in  ruins,  and  their  massive  frag 
ments  buried  among  vines,  fig-trees,  and  aloes. 

Let  us  look  on  this  northern  side  of  the  tower.  It  is 
a  giddy  height ;  the  very  foundations  of  the  tower  rise 
above  the  groves  of  the  steep  hill-side.  And  see !  a  long 
fissure  in  the  massive  walls  shows  that  the  tower  has 
been  rent  by  some  of  the  earthquakes  which  from  time 
to  time  have  thrown  Granada  into  consternation;  and 
which,  sooner  or  later,  must  reduce  this  crumbling  pile 
to  a  mere  mass  of  ruin.  The  deep  narrow  glen  below 
us,  which  gradually  widens  as  it  opens  from  the  moun 
tains,  is  the  valley  of  the  Darro ;  you  see  the  little  river 
winding  its  way  under  embowered  terraces,  and  among 
orchards  and  flower-gardens.  It  is  a  stream  famous 
in  old  times  for  yielding  gold,  and  its  sands  are  still 
sifted  occasionally,  in  search  of  the  precious  ore.  Some 
of  those  white  pavilions,  which  here  and  there  gleam 
from  among  groves  and  vineyards,  were  rustic  re 
treats  of  the  Moors,  to  enjoy  the  refreshment  of  their 
gardens.  Well  have  they  been  compared  by  one  of 
their  poets  to  so  many  pearls  set  in  a  bed  of  emeralds. 

The  airy  palace,  with  its  tall  white  towers  and  long 
arcades,  which  breasts  yon  mountain,  among  pompous 
groves  and  hanging  gardens,  is  the  Generalife,  a  sum 
mer  palace  of  the  Moorish  kings,  to  which  they  resorted 
during  the  sultry  months  to  enjoy  a  still  more  breezy 
region  than  that  of  the  Alhambra.  The  naked  summit 
of  the  height  above  it,  where  you  behold  some  shapeless 
ruins,  is  the  Silla  del  Moro,  or  seat  of  the  Moor,  so 


FROM  THE  TOWER  OF  COMARES      87 

called  from  having  been  a  retreat  of  the  unfortunate 
Boabdil  during  the  time  of  an  insurrection,  where  he 
seated  himself,  and  looked  down  mournfully  upon  his 
rebellious  city. 

A  murmuring  sound  of  water  now  and  then  rises 
from  the  valley.  It  is  from  the  aqueduct  of  yon  Moor 
ish  mill,  nearly  at  the  foot  of  the  hill.  The  avenue  of 
trees  beyond  is  the  Alameda,  along  the  bank  of  the 
Darro,  a  favorite  resort  in  evenings,  and  a  rendezvous 
of  lovers  in  the  summer  nights,  when  the  guitar  may 
be  heard  at  a  late  hour  from  the  benches  along  its  walls. 
At  present  you  see  none  but  a  few  loitering  monks 
there,  and  a  group  of  water-carriers.  The  latter  are 
burdened  with  water-jars  of  ancient  Oriental  construc 
tion,  such  as  were  used  by  the  Moors.  They  have  been 
filled  at  the  cold  and  limpid  spring  called  the  fountain 
of  Avellanos.  Yon  mountain  path  leads  to  the  foun 
tain,  a  favorite  resort  of  Moslems  as  well  as  Chris 
tians;  for  this  is  said  to  be  the  Adinamar  (Aynu-1- 
adamar),  the  "  Fountain  of  Tears,"  mentioned  by  Ibn 
Batuta  the  traveller,  and  celebrated  in  the  histories  and 
romances  of  the  Moors. 

You  start !  't  is  nothing  but  a  hawk  that  we  have 
frightened  from  his  nest.  This  old  tower  is  a  complete 
breeding-place  for  vagrant  birds;  the  swallow  and 
martlet  abound  in  every  chink  and  cranny,  and  circle 
about  it  the  whole  day  long;  while  at  night,  when  all 
other  birds  have  gone  to  rest,  the  moping  owl  comes 
out  of  its  lurking-place,  and  utters  its  boding  cry  from 
the  battlements.  See  how  the  hawk  we  have  dislodged 
sweeps  away  below  us,  skimming  over  the  tops  of  the 
trees,  and  sailing  up  to  the  ruins  above  the  Generalife! 

I  see  you  raise  your  eyes  to  the  snowy  summit  of  yon 
pile  of  mountains,  shining  like  a  white  summer  cloud 
in  the  blue  sky.  It  is  the  Sierra  Nevada,  the  pride  and 
delight  of  Granada;  the  source  of  her  cooling  breezes 
and  perpetual  verdure,  of  her  gushing  fountains  and 


88  THE  ALHAMBRA 

perennial  streams.  It  is  this  glorious  pile  of  mountains 
which  gives  to  Granada  that  combination  of  delights 
so  rare  in  a  southern  city,  —  the  fresh  vegetation  and 
temperate  airs  of  a  northern  climate,  with  the  vivifying 
ardor  of  a  tropical  sun,  and  the  cloudless  azure  of  a 
southern  sky.  It  is  this  aerial  treasury  of  snow,  which, 
melting  in  proportion  to  the  increase  of  the  summer 
heat,  sends  down  rivulets  and  streams  through  every 
glen  and  gorge  of  the  Alpuxarras,  diffusing  emerald 
verdure  and  fertility  throughout  a  chain  of  happy  and 
sequestered  valleys. 

Those  mountains  may  be  well  called  the  glory  of 
Granada.  They  dominate  the  whole  extent  of  Anda 
lusia,  and  may  be  seen  from  its  most  distant  parts.  The 
muleteer  hails  them,  as  he  views  their  frosty  peaks  from 
the  sultry  level  of  the  plain ;  and  the  Spanish  mariner 
on  the  deck  of  his  bark,  far,  far  off  on  the  bosom  of  the 
blue  Mediterranean,  watches  them  with  a  pensive  eye, 
thinks  of  delightful  Granada,  and  chants,  in  low  voice, 
some  old  romance  about  the  Moors. 

See  to  the  south  at  the  foot  of  those  mountains  a  line 
of  arid  hills,  down  which  a  long  train  of  mules  is  slowly 
moving.  Here  was  the  closing  scene  of  Moslem  domi 
nation.  From  the  summit  of  one  of  those  hills  the  un 
fortunate  Boabdil  cast  back  his  last  look  upon  Granada, 
and  gave  vent  to  the  agony  of  his  soul.  It  is  the  spot 
famous  in  song  and  story,  "  The  last  sigh  of  the 
Moor." 

Further  this  way  these  arid  hills  slope  down  into  the 
luxurious  Vega,  from  which  he  had  just  emerged :  a 
blooming  wilderness  of  grove  and  garden,  and  teeming 
orchard,  with  the  Xenil  winding  through  it  in  silver 
links,  and  feeding  innumerable  rills;  which,  conducted 
through  ancient  Moorish  channels,  maintain  the  land 
scape  in  perpetual  verdure.  Here  were  the  beloved 
bowers  and  gardens,  and  rural  pavilions,  for  which 
the  unfortunate  Moors  fought  with  such  desperate 


FROM  THE  TOWER  OF  COMARES      89 

valor.  The  very  hovels  and  rude  granges;  now  inhab 
ited  by  boors,  show,  by  the  remains  of  arabesques  and 
other  tasteful  decoration,  that  they  were  elegant  resi 
dences  in  the  days  of  the  Moslems.  Behold,  in  the  very 
centre  of  this  eventful  plain,  a  place  which  in  a  manner 
links  the  history  of  the  Old  World  with  that  of  the 
New.  Yon  line  of  walls  and  towers  gleaming  in  the 
morning  sun,  is  the  city  of  Santa  Fe,  built  .by  the  Cath 
olic  sovereigns  during  the  siege  of  Granada,  after  a 
conflagration  had  destroyed  their  camp.  It  was  to 
these  walls  Columbus  was  called  back  by  the  heroic 
queen,  and  within  them  the  treaty  was  concluded  which 
led  to  the  discovery  of  the  Western  World.  Behind 
yon  promontory  to  the  west  is  the  bridge  of  Pinos,  re 
nowned  for  many  a  bloody  fight  between  Moors  and 
Christians.  At  this  bridge  the  messenger  overtook 
Columbus  when,  despairing  of  success  with  the  Spanish 
sovereigns,  he  was  departing  to  carry  his  project  of 
discovery  to  the  court  of  France. 

Above  the  bridge  a  range  of  mountains  bounds  the 
Vega  to  the  west,  —  the  ancient  barrier  between  Gra 
nada  and  the  Christian  territories.  Among  their 
heights  you  may  still  discern  warrior  towns ;  their  gray 
walls  and  battlements  seeming  of  a  piece  with  the  rocks 
on  which  they  are  built.  Here  and  there  a  solitary 
atalaya,  or  watchtower,  perched  on  a  mountain  peak, 
looks  down  as  it  were  from  the  sky  into  the  valley  on 
either  side.  How  often  have  these  atalayas  given  no 
tice,  by  fire  at  night  or  smoke  by  day,  of  an  approach 
ing  foe !  It  was  down  a  cragged  defile  of  these  moun 
tains,  called  the  Pass  of  Lope,  that  the  Christian  armies 
descended  into  the  Vega.  Round  the  base  of  yon 
gray  and  naked  mountain  (the  mountain  of  Elvira), 
stretching  its  bold  rocky  promontory  into  the  bosom 
of  the  plain,  the  invading  squadrons  would  come  burst 
ing  into  view,  with  flaunting  banners  and  clangor  of 
drum  and  trumpet. 


90  THE  ALHAMBRA 

Five  hundred  years  have  elapsed  since  Ismael  ben 
Ferrag,  a  Moorish  king  of  Granada,  beheld  from  this 
very  tower  an  invasion  of  the  kind,  and  an  insulting 
ravage  of  the  Vega;  on  which  occasion  he  displayed 
an  instance  of  chivalrous  magnanimity,  often  witnessed 
in  the  Moslem  princes ;  "  whose  history,"  says  an  Ara 
bian  writer,  "  abounds  in  generous  actions  and  noble 
deeds  that  will  last  through  all  succeeding  ages,  and 
live  forever  in  the  memory  of  man."  •  -  But  let  us  sit 
down  on  this  parapet,  and  I  will  relate  the  anecdote. 

It  was  in  the  year  of  grace  1319,  that  Ismael  ben 
Ferrag  beheld  from  this  tower  a  Christian  camp 
whitening  the  skirts  of  yon  mountain  of  Elvira.  The 
royal  princes,  Don  Juan  and  Don  Pedro,  regents  of 
Castile  during  the  minority  of  Alfonso  XL,  had  already 
laid  waste  the  country  from  Alcaudete  to  Alcala  la 
Real,  capturing  the  castle  of  Illora  and  setting  fire  to 
its  suburbs,  and  they  now  carried  their  insulting  rav 
ages  to  the  very  gates  of  Granada,  defying  the  king 
to  sally  forth  and  give  them  battle. 

Ismael,  though  a  young  and  intrepid  prince,  hesi 
tated  to  accept  the  challenge.  He  had  not  sufficient 
force  at  hand,  and  awaited  the  arrival  of  troops  sum 
moned  from  the  neighboring  towns.  The  Christian 
princes,  mistaking  his  motives,  gave  up  all  hope  of 
drawing  him  forth,  and  having  glutted  themselves  with 
ravage,  struck  their  tents  and  began  their  homeward 
march.  Don  Pedro  led  the  van,  and  Don  Juan  brought 
up  the  rear,  but  their  march  was  confused  and  irregu 
lar,  the  army  being  greatly  encumbered  by  the  spoils 
and  captives  they  had  taken. 

By  this  time  King  Ismael  had  received  his  ex 
pected  resources,  and  putting  them  under  the  command 
of  Osmyn,  one  of  the  bravest  of  his  generals,  sent 
them  forth  in  hot  pursuit  of  the  enemy.  The  Chris 
tians  were  overtaken  in  the  defiles  of  the  mountains. 
A  panic  seized  them;  they  were  completely  routed, 


FROM  THE  TOWER  OF  COMARES      91 

and  driven  with  great  slaughter  across  the  borders. 
Both  of  the  princes  lost  their  lives.  The  body  of  Don 
Pedro  was  carried  off  by  his  soldiers,  but  that  of 
Don  Juan  was  lost  in  the  darkness  of  the  night.  His 
son  wrote  to  the  Moorish  king,  entreating  that  the 
body  of  his  father  might  be  sought  and  honorably 
treated.  Ismael  forgot  in  a  moment  that  Don  Juan 
was  an  enemy,  who  had  carried  ravage  and  insult  to 
the  very  gate  of  his  capital ;  he  only  thought  of  him 
as  a  gallant  cavalier  and  a  royal  prince.  By  his  com 
mand  diligent  search  was  made  for  the  body.  It  was 
found  in  a  barranco  and  brought  to  Granada.  There 
Ismael  caused  it  to  be  laid  out  in  state  on  a  lofty  bier, 
surrounded  by  torches  and  tapers,  in  one  of  these  halls 
of  the  Alhambra.  Osmyn  and  other  of  the  noblest 
cavaliers  were  appointed  as  a  guard  of  honor,  and  the 
Christian  captives  were  assembled  to  pray  around  it. 

In  the  mean  time,  Ismael  wrote  to  the  son  of  Prince 
Juan  to  send  a  convoy  for  the  body,  assuring  him  it 
should  be  faithfully  delivered  up.  In  due  time,  a  band 
of  Christian  cavaliers  arrived  for  the  purpose.  They 
were  honorably  received  and  entertained  by  Ismael, 
and,  on  their  departure  with  the  body,  the  guard  of 
honor  of  Moslem  cavaliers  escorted  the  funeral  train 
to  the  frontier. 

But  enough  ;  —  the  sun  is  high  above  the  mountains, 
and  pours  his  full  fervor  on  our  heads.  Already  the 
terraced  roof  is  hot  beneath  our  feet;  let  us  abandon 
it,  and  refresh  ourselves  under  the  Arcades  by  the 
Fountain  of  the  Lions. 


92  THE  ALHAMBRA 


THE   TRUANT 

WE  have  had  a  scene  of  a  petty  tribulation  in  the 
Alhambra,  which  has  thrown  a  cloud  over  the  sunny 
countenance  of  Dolores.  This  little  damsel  has  a 
female  passion  for  pets  of  all  kinds ;  and  from  the 
superabundant  kindness  of  her  disposition,  one  of  the 
ruined  courts  of  the  Alhambra  is  thronged  with  her 
favorites.  A  stately  peacock  and  his  hen  seem  to  hold 
regal  sway  here,  over  pompous  turkeys,  querulous 
guinea-fowls,  and  a  rabble  rout  of  common  cocks  and 
hens.  The  great  delight  of  Dolores,  however,  has  for 
some  time  past  been  centred  in  a  youthful  pair  of 
pigeons,  who  have  lately  entered  into  the  holy  state 
of  wedlock,  and  even  supplanted  a  tortoise-shell  cat 
and  kittens  in  her  affections. 

As  a  tenement  for  them  wherein  to  commence  house 
keeping,  she  had  fitted  up  a  small  chamber  adjacent 
to  the  kitchen,  the  window  of  which  looked  into  one 
of  the  quiet  Moorish  courts.  Here  they  lived  in  happy 
ignorance  of  any  world  beyond  the  court  and  its  sunny 
roofs.  Never  had  they  aspired  to  soar  above  the 
battlements,  or  to  mount  to  the  summit  of  the  towers. 
Their  virtuous  union  was  at  length  crowned  by  two 
spotless  and  milk-white  eggs,  to  the  great  joy  of  their 
cherishing  little  mistress.  Nothing  could  be  more 
praiseworthy  than  the  conduct  of  the  young  married 
folks  on  this  interesting  occasion.  They  took  turns 
to  sit  upon  the  nest  until  the  eggs  were  hatched,  and 
while  their  callow  progeny  required  warmth  and  shel 
ter  ;  —  while  one  thus  stayed  at  home,  the  other  for 
aged  abroad  for  food,  and  brought  home  abundant 
supplies. 

This  scene  of  conjugal  felicity  has  suddenly  met 
with  a  reverse.  Early  this  morning,  as  Dolores  was 


THE  TRUANT  93 

feeding  the  male  pigeon,  she  took  a  fancy  to  give  him 
a  peep  at  the  great  world.  Opening  a  window,  there 
fore,  which  looks  down  upon  the  valley  of  the  Darro, 
she  launched  him  at  once  beyond  the  walls  of  the 
Alhambra.  For  the  first  time  in  his  life  the  astonished 
bird  had  to  try  the  full  vigor  of  his  wings.  He  swept 
down  into  the  valley,  and  then  rising  upwards  with 
a  surge,  soared  almost  to  the  clouds.  Never  before 
had  he  risen  to  such  a  height,  or  experienced  such  de 
light  in  flying;  and,  like  a  young  spendthrift  just  come 
to  his  estate,  he  seemed  giddy  with  excess  of  liberty, 
and  with  the  boundless  field  of  action  suddenly  opened 
to  him.  For  the  whole  day  he  has  been  circling  about 
in  capricious  flights,  from  tower  to  tower,  and  tree  to 
tree.  Every  attempt  has  been  vain  to  lure  him  back 
by  scattering  grain  upon  the  roofs ;  he  seems  to  have 
lost  all  thought  of  home,  of  his  tender  helpmate,  and 
his  callow  young.  To  add  to  the  anxiety  of  Dolores, 
he  has  been  joined  by  two  palomas  ladrones,  or  robber 
pigeons,  whose  instinct  it  is  to  entice  wandering  pigeons 
to  their  own  dove-cotes.  The  fugitive,  like  many  other 
thoughtless  youths  on  their  first  launching  upon  the 
world,  seems  quite  fascinated  with  these  knowing  but 
graceless  companions,  who  have  undertaken  to  show 
him  life,  and  introduce  him  to  society.  He  has  been 
soaring  with  them  over  all  the  roofs  and  steeples  of 
Granada.  A  thunder-storm  has  passed  over  the  city, 
but  he  has  not  sought  his  home ;  night  has  closed  in, 
and  still  he  comes  not.  To  deepen  the  pathos  of  the 
affair,  the  female  pigeon,  after  remaining  several  hours 
on  the  nest  without  being  relieved,  at  length  went  forth 
to  seek  her  recreant  mate;  but  stayed  away  so  long 
that  the  young  ones  perished  for  want  of  the  warmth 
and  shelter  of  the  parent  bosom.  At  a  late  hour  in 
the  evening,  word  was  brought  to  Dolores  that  the 
truant  bird  had  been  seen  upon  the  towers  of  the  Gen- 
eralife.  Now  it  happens  that  the  Administrador  of 


94  THE  ALHAMBRA 

that  ancient  palace  has  likewise  a  dove-cote,  among 
the  inmates  of  which  are  said  to  be  two  or  three  of 
these  inveigling  birds,  the  terror  of  all  neighboring 
pigeon-fanciers.  Dolores  immediately  concluded  that 
the  two  feathered  sharpers  who  had  been  seen  with  her 
fugitive  were  these  bloods  of  the  Generalife.  A  coun 
cil  of  war  was  forthwith  held  in  the  chamber  of  Tia 
Antonia.  The  Generalife  is  a  distinct  jurisdiction  from 
the  Alhambra,  and  of  course  some  punctilio,  if  not 
jealousy,  exists  between  their  custodians.  It  was  de 
termined,  therefore,  to  send  Pepe,  the  stuttering  lad 
of  the  gardens,  as  ambassador  to  the  Administrador, 
requesting  that  if  such  fugitive  should  be  found  in  his 
dominions,  he  might  be  given  up  as  a  subject  of  the 
Alhambra.  Pepe  departed  accordingly,  on  his  diplo 
matic  expedition,  through  the  moonlit  groves  and 
avenues,  but  returned  in  an  hour  with  the  afflicting 
intelligence  that  no  such  bird  was  to  be  found  in  the 
dove-cote  of  the  Generalife.  The  Administrador,  how 
ever,  pledged  his  sovereign  word  that  if  such  vagrant 
should  appear  there,  even  at  midnight,  he  should  in 
stantly  be  arrested  and  sent  back  prisoner  to  his  little 
black-eyed  mistress. 

Thus  stands  the  melancholy  affair,  which  has  oc 
casioned  much  distress  throughout  the  palace,  and  has 
sent  the  inconsolable  Dolores  to  a  sleepless  pillow. 

"  Sorrow  endureth  for  a  night,"  says  the 

proverb,  "but  joy  cometh  in  the  morning."  The  first 
object  that  met  my  eyes,  on  leaving  my  room  this 
morning,  was  Dolores,  with  the  truant  pigeon  in  her 
hands,  and  her  eyes  sparkling  with  joy.  He  had  ap 
peared  at  an  early  hour  on  the  battlements,  hovering 
shyly  about  from  roof  to  roof,  but  at  length  entered 
the  window,  and  surrendered  himself  prisoner.  He 
gained  but  little  credit,  however,  by  his  return ;  for  the 
ravenous  manner  in  which  he  devoured  the  food  set 
before  him  showed  that,  like  the  prodigal  son,  he  had 


THE  BALCONY  95 

been  driven  home  by  sheer  famine.  Dolores  upbraided 
him  for  his  faithless  conduct,  calling  him  all  manners 
of  vagrant  names,  though,  womanlike,  she  fondled 
him  at  the  same  time  to  her  bosom,  and  covered  him 
with  kisses.  I  observed,  however,  that  she  had  taken 
care  to  clip  his  wings  to  prevent  all  future  soarings ;  — 
a  precaution  which  I  mention  for  the  benefit  of  all  those 
who  have  truant  lovers  or  wandering  husbands.  More 
than  one  valuable  moral  might  be  drawn  from  the 
story  of  Dolores  and  her  pigeon. 


THE   BALCONY 

I  HAVE  spoken  of  a  balcony  of  the  central  window  of 
the  Hall  of  Ambassadors.  It  served  as  a  kind  of  ob 
servatory,  where  I  used  often  to  take  my  seat,  and 
consider  not  merely  the  heaven  above  but  the  earth 
beneath.  Besides  the  magnificent  prospect  which  it 
commanded  of  mountain,  valley,  and  vega,  there  was 
a  little  busy  scene  of  human  life  laid  open  to  inspec 
tion  immediately  below.  At  the  foot  of  the  hill  was 
an  alameda,  or  public  walk,  which,  though  not  so 
fashionable  as  the  more  modern  and  splendid  paseo 
of  the  Xenil,  still  boasted  a  varied  and  picturesque 
concourse.  Hither  resorted  the  small  gentry  of  the 
suburbs,  together  with  priests  and  friars,  who  walked 
for  appetite  and  digestion  ;  majos  and  majas,  the  beaux 
and  belles  of  the  lower  classes,  in  their  Andalusian 
dresses;  swaggering  contrabandistas,  and  sometimes 
half-muffled  and  mysterious  loungers  of  the  higher 
ranks,  on  some  secret  assignation. 

It  was  a  moving  picture  of  Spanish  life  and  char 
acter,  which  I  delighted  to  study;  and  as  the  astrono 
mer  has  his  grand  telescope  with  which  to  sweep  the 
skies,  and,  as  it  were,  bring  the  stars  nearer  for  his 


96  THE  ALHAMBRA 

inspection,  so  I  had  a  smaller  one,  of  pocket  size,  for 
the  use  of  my  observatory,  with  which  I  could  sweep 
the  regions  below,  and  bring  the  countenances  of  the 
motley  groups  so  close  as  almost,  at  times,  to  make  me 
think  I  could  divine  their  conversation  by  the  play 
and  expression  of  their  features.  I  was  thus,  in  a 
manner,  an  invisible  observer,  and,  without  quitting 
my  solitude,  could  throw  myself  in  an  instant  into  the 
midst  of  society,  —  a  rare  advantage  to  one  of  some 
what  shy  and  quiet  habits,  and  fond,  like  myself,  of 
observing  the  drama  of  life  without  becoming  an  actor 
in  the  scene. 

There  was  a  considerable  suburb  lying  below  the 
Alhambra,  rilling  the  narrow  gorge  of  the  valley,  and 
extending  up  the  opposite  hill  of  the  Albaycin.  Many 
of  the  houses  were  built  in  the  Moorish  style,  round 
patios,  or  courts,  cooled  by  fountains  and  open  to  the 
sky;  and  as  the  inhabitants  passed  much  of  their  time 
in  these  courts,  and  on  the  terraced  roofs  during  the 
summer  season,  it  follows  that  many  a  glance  at  their 
domestic  life  might  be  obtained  by  an  aerial  spectator 
like  myself,  who  could  look  down  on  them  from  the 
clouds. 

I  enjoyed  in  some  degree  the  advantages  of  the  stu 
dent  in  the  famous  old  Spanish  story,  who  beheld  all 
Madrid  unroofed  for  his  inspection;  and  my  gossip 
ing  squire,  Mateo  Ximenes,  officiated  occasionally  as 
my  Asmodeus,  to  give  me  anecdotes  of  the  different 
mansions  and  their  inhabitants. 

I  preferred,  however,  to  form  conjectural  histories 
for  myself,  and  thus  would  sit  for  hours,  weaving, 
from  casual  incidents  and  indications  passing  under 
my  eye,  a  whole  tissue  of  schemes,  intrigues,  and  oc 
cupations  of  the  busy  mortals  below.  There  was  scarce 
a  pretty  face  or  a  striking  figure  that  I  daily  saw,  about 
which  I  had  not  thus  gradually  framed  a  dramatic 
story,  though  some  of  my  characters  would  occasion- 


THE  BALCONY  97 

ally  act  in  direct  opposition  to  the  part  assigned  them, 
and  disconcert  the  whole  drama.  Reconnoitring  one 
day  with  my  glass  the  streets  of  the  Albaycin,  I  be 
held  the  procession  of  a  novice  about  to  take  the  veil; 
and  remarked  several  circumstances  which  excited  the 
strongest  sympathy  in  the  fate  of  the  youthful  being 
thus  about  to  be  consigned  to  a  living  tomb.  I  ascer 
tained  to  my  satisfaction  that  she  was  beautiful,  and, 
from  the  paleness  of  her  cheek,  that  she  was  a  victim 
rather  than  a  votary.  She  was  arrayed  in  bridal  gar 
ments,  and  decked  with  a  chaplet  of  white  flowers,  but 
her  heart  evidently  revolted  at  this  mockery  of  a  spirit 
ual  union,  and  yearned  after  its  earthly  loves.  A  tall 
stern-looking  man  walked  near  her  in  the  procession : 
it  was,  of  course,  the  tyrannical  father,  who,  from 
some  bigoted  or  sordid  motive,  had  compelled  this 
sacrifice.  Amid  the  crowd  was  a  dark  handsome  youth, 
in  Andalusian  garb,  who  seemed  to  fix  on  her  an  eye 
of  agony.  It  was  doubtless  the  secret  lover  from  whom 
she  was  forever  to  be  separated.  My  indignation  rose 
as  I  noted  the  malignant  expression  painted  on  the 
countenances  of  the  attendant  monks  and  friars.  The 
procession  arrived  at  the  chapel  of  the  convent ;  the  sun 
gleamed  for  the  last  time  upon  the  chaplet  of  the  poor 
novice,  as  she  crossed  the  fatal  threshold  and  disap 
peared  within  the  building.  The  throng  poured  in  with 
cowl,  and  cross,  and  minstrelsy;  the  lover  paused  for 
a  moment  at  the  door.  I  could  divine  the  tumult  of 
his  feelings ;  but  he  mastered  them,  and  entered.  There 
was  a  long  interval.  I  pictured  to  myself  the  scene 
passing  within :  the  poor  novice  despoiled  of  her  tran 
sient  finery,  and  clothed  in  the  conventual  garb;  the 
bridal  chaplet  taken  from  her  brow,  and  her  beautiful 
head  shorn  of  its  long  silken  tresses.  I  heard  her 
murmur  the  irrevocable  vow.  I  saw  her  extended  on 
a  bier;  the  death-pall  spread  over  her;  the  funeral 
service  performed  that  proclaimed  her  dead  to  the 

7 


98  THE  ALHAMBRA 

world;  her  sighs  were  drowned  in  the  deep  tones 
of  the  organ,  and  the  plaintive  requiem  of  the  nuns; 
the  father  looked  on,  unmoved,  without  a  tear;  the 
lover  —  no  —  my  imagination  refused  to  portray  the 
anguish  of  the  lover  —  there  the  picture  remained  a 
blank. 

After  a  time  the  throng  again  poured  forth,  and 
dispersed  various  ways,  to  enjoy  the  light  of  the  sun 
and  mingle  with  the  stirring  scenes  of  life;  but  the 
victim,  with  her  bridal  chaplet,  was  no  longer  there. 
The  door  of  the  convent  closed  that  severed  her  from 
the  world  forever.  I  saw  the  father  and  the  lover 
issue  forth;  they  were  in  earnest  conversation.  The 
latter  was  vehement  in  his  gesticulations;  I  expected 
some  violent  termination  to  my  drama;  but  an  angle 
of  a  building  interfered  and  closed  the  scene.  My 
eye  afterwards  was  frequently  turned  to  that  convent 
with  painful  interest.  I  remarked  late  at  night  a  soli 
tary  light  twinkling  from  a  remote  lattice  of  one  of 
its  towers.  "  There,"  said  I,  "  the  unhappy  nun  sits 
weeping  in  her  cell,  while  perhaps  her  lover  paces  the 
street  below  in  unavailing  anguish." 

-  The  officious  Mateo  interrupted  my  meditations 
and  destroyed  in  an  instant  the  cobweb  tissue  of  my 
fancy.  With  his  usual  zeal  he  had  gathered  facts 
concerning  the  scene,  which  put  my  fictions  all  to  flight. 
The  heroine  of  my  romance  was  neither  young  nor 
handsome;  she  had  no  lover;  she  had  entered  the 
convent  of  her  own  free  will,  as  a  respectable  asylum, 
and  was  one  of  the  most  cheerful  residents  within  its 
walls. 

It  was  some  little  while  before  I  could  forgive  the 
wrong  done  me  by  the  nun  in  being  thus  happy  in  her 
cell,  in  contradiction  to  all  the  rules  of  romance;  I 
diverted  my  spleen,  however,  by  watching,  for  a  day 
or  two,  the  pretty  coquetries  of  a  dark-eyed  brunette, 
who,  from  the  covert  of  a  balcony  shrouded  with 


THE  BALCONY  99 

flowering  shrubs  and  a  silken  awning,  was  carrying 
on  a  mysterious  correspondence  with  a  handsome,  dark, 
well-whiskered  cavalier,  who  lurked  frequently  in  the 
street  beneath  her  window.  Sometimes  I  saw  him  at 
an  early  hour,  stealing  forth  wrapped  to  the  eyes  in 
a  mantle.  Sometimes  he  loitered  at  a  corner,  in  vari 
ous  disguises,  apparently  waiting  for  a  private  signal 
to  slip  into  the  house.  Then  there  was  the  tinkling 
of  a  guitar  at  night  and  a  lantern  shifted  from  place 
to  place  in  the  balcony.  I  imagined  another  intrigue 
like  that  of  Almaviva,  but  was  again  disconcerted  in 
all  my  suppositions.  The  supposed  lover  turned  out 
to  be  the  husband  of  the  lady,  and  a  noted  contra- 
bandista ;  and  all  his  mysterious  signs  and  movements 
had  doubtless  some  smuggling  scheme  in  view. 

—  I  occasionally  amused  myself  with  noting  from 
this  balcony  the  gradual  changes  of  the  scenes  below, 
according  to  the  different  stages  of  the  day. 

Scarce  has  the  gray  dawn  streaked  the  sky,  and  the 
earliest  cock  crowed  from  the  cottages  of  the  hill-side, 
when  the  suburbs  give  sign  of  reviving  animation; 
for  the  fresh  hours  of  dawning  are  precious  in  the 
summer  season  in  a  sultry  climate.  All  are  anxious 
to  get  the  start  of  the  sun,  in  the  business  of  the  day. 
The  muleteer  drives  forth  his  loaded  train  for  the 
journey ;  the  traveller  slings  his  carbine  behind  his 
saddle,  and  mounts  his  steed  at  the  gate  of  the  hostel ; 
the  brown  peasant  from  the  country  urges  forward 
his  loitering  beasts,  laden  with  panniers  of  sunny  fruit 
and  fresh  dewy  vegetables,  for  already  the  thrifty 
housewives  are  hastening  to  the  market. 

The  sun  is  up  and  sparkles  along  the  valley,  tipping 
the  transparent  foliage  of  the  groves.  The  matin  bells 
resound  melodiously  through  the  pure  bright  air,  an 
nouncing  the  hour  of  devotion.  The  muleteer  halts 
his  burdened  animals  before  the  chapel,  thrusts  his 
staff  through  his  belt  behind,  and  enters  with  hat  in 


ioo  THE  ALHAMBRA 

hand,  smoothing  his  coal-black  hair,  to  hear  a  mass, 
and  to  put  up  a  prayer  for  a  prosperous  wayfaring 
across  the  sierra.  And  now  steals  forth  on  fairy  foot 
the  gentle  Senora,  in  trim  basquifia,  with  restless  fan 
in  hand,  and  dark  eye  flashing  from  beneath  the  grace 
fully  folded  mantilla;  she  seeks  some  well-frequented 
church  to  offer  up  her  morning  orisons ;  but  the  nicely 
adjusted  dress,  the  dainty  shoe  and  cobweb  stocking, 
the  raven  tresses  exquisitely  braided,  the  fresh-plucked 
rose,  gleaming  among  them  like  a  gem,  show  that  earth 
divides  with  Heaven  the  empire  of  her  thoughts.  Keep 
an  eye  upon  her,  careful  mother,  or  virgin  aunt,  or 
vigilant  duenna,  whichever  you  may  be,  that  walk 
behind ! 

As  the  morning  advances,  the  din  of  labor  augments 
on  every  side;  the  streets  are  thronged  with  man,  and 
steed,  and  beast  of  burden,  and  there  is  a  hum  and 
murmur,  like  the  surges  of  the  ocean.  As  the  sun 
ascends  to  his  meridian,  the  hum  and  bustle  gradually 
decline;  at  the  height  of  noon  there  is  a  pause.  The 
panting  city  sinks  into  lassitude,  and  for  several  hours 
there  is  a  general  repose.  The  windows  are  closed, 
the  curtains  drawn,  the  inhabitants  retired  into  the 
coolest  recesses  of  their  mansions ;  the  full-fed  monk 
snores  in  his  dormitory;  the  brawny  porter  lies  stretched 
on  the  pavement  beside  his  burden ;  the  peasant  and 
the  laborer  sleep  beneath  the  trees  of  the  Alameda, 
lulled  by  the  sultry  chirping  of  the  locust.  The  streets 
are  deserted,  except  by  the  water-carrier,  who  refreshes 
the  ear  by  proclaiming  the  merits  of  his  sparkling  bev 
erage,  "colder  than  the  mountain  snow  (mas  friaque 
la  nieve}." 

As  the  sun  declines,  there  is  again  a  gradual  reviv 
ing,  and  when  the  vesper  bell  rings  out  his  sinking 
knell,  all  nature  seems  to  rejoice  that  the  tyrant  of  the 
day  has  fallen.  Now  begins  the  bustle  of  enjoyment, 
when  the  citizens  pour  forth  to  breathe  the  evening 


THE  ADVENTURE  OF  THE  MASON  101 

air,  and  revel  away  the  brief  twilight  in  the  walks  and 
gardens  of  the  Darro  and  Xenil. 

As  night  closes,  the  capricious  scene  assumes  new 
features.  Light  after  light  gradually  twinkles  forth; 
here  a  taper  from  a  balconied  window ;  there  a  votive 
lamp  before  the  image  of  a  Saint.  Thus,  by  degrees, 
the  city  emerges  from  the  pervading  gloom,  and  sparkles 
with  scattered  lights,  like  the  starry  firmament.  Now 
break  forth  from  court  and  garden,  and  street  and 
lane,  the  tinkling  of  innumerable  guitars,  and  the  click 
ing  of  castanets;  blending,  at  this  lofty  height,  in  a 
faint  but  general  concert.  "  Enjoy  the  moment  "  is 
the  creed  of  the  gay  and  amorous  Andalusian,  and  at 
no  time  does  he  practise  it  more  zealously  than  on  the 
balmy  nights  of  summer,  wooing  his  mistress  with  the 
dance,  the  love-ditty,  and  the  passionate  serenade. 

I  was  one  evening  seated  in  the  balcony,  enjoying 
the  light  breeze  that  came  rustling  along  the  side  of 
the  hill,  among  the  tree-tops,  when  my  humble  his 
toriographer  Mateo,  who  was  at  my  elbow,  pointed 
out  a  spacious  house,  in  an  obscure  street  of  the  Al- 
baycin,  about  which  he  related,  as  nearly  as  I  can 
recollect,  the  following  anecdote. 


THE  ADVENTURE   OF  THE   MASON 

THERE  was  once  upon  a  time  a  poor  mason,  or  brick 
layer,  in  Granada,  who  kept  all  the  saints'  days  and 
holidays,  and  Saint  Monday  into  the  bargain,  and  yet, 
with  all  his  devotion,  he  grew  poorer  and  poorer,  and 
could  scarcely  earn  bread  for  his  numerous  family. 
One  night  he  was  roused  from  his  first  sleep  by  a 
knocking  at  his  door.  He  opened  it,  and  beheld  be 
fore  him  a  tall,  meagre,  cadaverous-looking  priest. 
"'Hark  ye,  honest  friend!'  said  the  stranger;  'I 


102  THE  ALHAMBRA 

have  observed  that  you  are  a  good  Christian,  and  one 
to  be  trusted;  will  you  undertake  a  job  this  very 
night?' 

"  '  With  all  my  heart,  Senor  Padre,  on  condition 
that  I  am  paid  accordingly.' 

'  That  you  shall  be ;   but  you  must  suffer  yourself 
to  be  blindfolded.' 

'  To  this  the  mason  made  no  objection.  So,  being 
hoodwinked,  he  was  led  by  the  priest  through  various 
rough  lanes  and  winding  passages,  until  they  stopped 
before  the  portal  of  a  house.  The  priest  then  applied 
a  key,  turned  a  creaking  lock,  and  opened  what  sounded 
like  a  ponderous  door.  They  entered,  the  door  was 
closed  and  bolted,  and  the  mason  was  conducted 
through  an  echoing  corridor  and  a  spacious  hall  to  an 
interior  part  of  the  building.  Here  the  bandage  was 
removed  from  his  eyes,  and  he  found  himself  in  a 
patio,  or  court,  dimly  lighted  by  a  single  lamp.  In 
the  centre  was  the  dry  basin  of  an  old  Moorish  foun 
tain,  under  which  the  priest  requested  him  to  form  a 
small  vault,  bricks  and  mortar  being  at  hand  for  the 
purpose.  He  accordingly  worked  all  night,  but  with 
out  finishing  the  job.  Just  before  daybreak  the  priest 
put  a  piece  of  gold  into  his  hand,  and  having  again 
blindfolded  him,  conducted  him  back  to  his  dwelling. 

"  '  Are  you  willing,'  said  he,  '  to  return  and  com 
plete  your  work  ?  ' 

"  '  Gladly,  Senor  Padre,  provided  I  am  so  well  paid.' 

"  '  Well,  then,  to-morrow  at  midnight  I  will  call 
again.' 

"  He  did  so,  and  the  vault  was  completed. 

"  '  Now,'  said  the  priest,  '  you  must  help  me  to  bring 
forth  the  bodies  that  are  to  be  buried  in  this  vault.' 

"  The  poor  mason's  hair  rose  on  his  head  at  these 
words:  he  followed  the  priest,  with  trembling  steps, 
into  a  retired  chamber  of  the  mansion,  expecting  to 
behold  some  ghastly  spectacle  of  death,  but  was  re- 


THE  ADVENTURE  OF  THE  MASON  103 

lieved  on  perceiving  three  or  four  portly  jars  standing 
in  one  corner.  They  were  evidently  full  of  money, 
and  it  was  with  great  labor  that  he  and  the  priest  car 
ried  them  forth  and  consigned  them  to  their  tomb. 
The  vault  was  then  closed,  the  pavement  replaced,  and 
all  traces  of  the  work  were  obliterated.  The  mason 
was  again  hoodwinked  and  led  forth  by  a  route  dif 
ferent  from  that  by  which  he  had  come.  After  they 
had  wandered  for  a  long  time  through  a  perplexed 
maze  of  lanes  and  alleys,  they  halted.  The  priest  then 
put  two  pieces  of  gold  into  his  hand :  '  Wait  here/ 
said  he,  '  until  you  hear  the  cathedral  bell  toll  for 
matins.  If  you  presume  to  uncover  your  eyes  before 
that  time,  evil  will  befall  you  ' :  so  saying,  he  departed. 
The  mason  waited  faithfully,  amusing  himself  by 
weighing  the  gold  pieces  in  his  hand,  and  clinking 
them  against  each  other.  The  moment  the  cathedral 
bell  rang  its  matin  peal,  he  uncovered  his  eyes,  and 
found  himself  on  the  banks  of  the  Xenil;  whence  he 
made  the  best  of  his  way  home,  and  revelled  with  his 
family  for  a  whole  fortnight  on  the  profits  of  his  two 
nights'  work;  after  which  he  was  as  poor  as  ever. 

"  He  continued  to  work  a  little,  and  pray  a  good 
deal,  and  keep  saints'  days  and  holidays,  from  year 
to  year,  while  his  family  grew  up  as  gaunt  and  ragged 
as  a  crew  of  gypsies.  As  he  was  seated  one  evening 
at  the  door  of  his  hovel,  he  was  accosted  by  a  rich  old 
curmudgeon,  who  was  noted  for  owning  many  houses, 
and  being  a  griping  landlord.  The  man  of  money 
eyed  him  for  a  moment  from  beneath  a  pair  of  anxious 
shagged  eyebrows. 

"  '  I  am  told,  friend,  that  you  are  very  poor/ 

"  '  There  is  no  denying  the  fact,  Sefior,  —  it  speaks 
for  itself/ 

"  '  I  presume,  then,  that  you  will  be  glad  of  a  job, 
and  will  work  cheap/ 

"  '  As  cheap,  my  master,  as  any  mason  in  Granada/ 


104  THE  ALHAMBRA 


..  . 


That 's  what  I  want.  I  have  an  old  house  fallen 
into  decay,  which  costs  me  more  money  than  it  is  worth 
to  keep  it  in  repair,  for  nobody  will  live  in  it;  so  I 
must  contrive  to  patch  it  up  and  keep  it  together  at 
as  small  expense  as  possible.' 

"  The  mason  was  accordingly  conducted  to  a  large 
deserted  house  that  seemed  going  to  ruin.  Passing 
through  several  empty  halls  and  chambers,  he  entered 
an  inner  court,  where  his  eye  was  caught  by  an  old 
Moorish  fountain.  He  paused  for  a  moment,  for  a 
dreaming  recollection  of  the  place  came  over  him. 

"'Pray,'  said  he,  'who  occupied  this  house  formerly?' 

"  '  A  pest  upon  him ! '  cried  the  landlord ;  '  it  was 
an  old  miserly  priest,  who  cared  for  nobody  but  him 
self.  He  was  said  to  be  immensely  rich,  and,  having 
no  relations,  it  was  thought  he  would  leave  all  his 
treasures  to  the  Church.  He  died  suddenly,  and  the 
priests  and  friars  thronged  to  take  possession  of  his 
wealth;  but  nothing  could  they  find  but  a  few  ducats 
in  a  leathern  purse.  The  worst  luck  has  fallen  on  me, 
for,  since  his  death,  the  old  fellow  continues  to  occupy 
my  house  without  paying  rent,  and  there  is  no  taking 
the  law  of  a  dead  man.  The  people  pretend  to  hear 
the  clinking  of  gold  all  night  in  the  chamber  where 
the  old  priest  slept,  as  if  he  were  counting  over  his 
money,  and  sometimes  a  groaning  and  moaning  about 
the  court.  Whether  true  or  false,  these  stories  have 
brought  a  bad  name  on  my  house,  and  not  a  tenant 
will  remain  in  it.' 

"  '  Enough/  said  the  mason  sturdily :  '  let  me  live  in 
your  house  rent-free  until  some  better  tenant  present, 
and  I  will  engage  to  put  it  in  repair,  and  to  quiet  the 
troubled  spirit  that  disturbs  it.  I  am  a  good  Christian 
and  a  poor  man,  and  am  not  to  be  daunted  by  the  Devil 
himself,  even  though  he  should  come  in  the  shape  of 
a  big  bag  of  money ! ' 

"  The  offer  of  the  honest  mason  was  gladly  accepted ; 


THE  COURT  OF  LIONS  105 

he  moved  with  his  family  into  the  house,  and  fulfilled 
all  his  engagements.  By  little  and  Iktle  he  restored 
it  to  its  former  state ;  the  clinking  of  gold  was  no  more 
heard  at  night  in  the  chamber  of  the  defunct  priest, 
but  began  to  be  heard  by  day  in  the  pocket  of  the  living 
mason.  In  a  word,  he  increased  rapidly  in  wealth,  to 
the  admiration  of  all  his  neighbors,  and  became  one 
of  the  richest  men  in  Granada:  he  gave  large  sums 
to  the  Church,  by  way,  no  doubt,  of  satisfying  his 
conscience,  and  never  revealed  the  secret  of  the  vault 
until  on  his  death-bed  to  his  son  and  heir." 


THE  COURT  OF   LIONS 

THE  peculiar  charm  of  this  old  dreamy  palace  is  its 
power  of  calling  up  vague  reveries  and  picturings  of 
the  past,  and  thus  clothing  naked  realities  with  the 
illusions  of  the  memory  and  the  imagination.  As  I 
delight  to  walk  in  these  "  vain  shadows,"  I  am  prone 
to  seek  those  parts  of  the  Alhambra  which  are  most 
favorable  to  this  phantasmagoria  of  the  mind;  and 
none  are  more  so  than  the  Court  of  Lions,  and  its 
surrounding  halls.  Here  the  hand  of  time  has  fallen 
the  lightest,  and  the  traces  of  Moorish  elegance  and 
splendor  exist  in  almost  their  original  brilliancy.  Earth 
quakes  have  shaken  the  foundations  of  this  pile,  and 
rent  its  rudest  towers ;  yet  see !  not  one  of  those  slen 
der  columns  has  been  displaced,  not  an  arch  of  that 
light  and  fragile  colonnade  given  way,  and  all  the  fairy 
fretwork  of  these  domes,  apparently  as  unsubstantial 
as  the  crystal  fabrics  of  a  morning's  frost,  exist  after 
the  lapse  of  centuries,  almost  as  fresh  as  if  from  the 
hand  of  the  Moslem  artist.  I  write  in  the  midst  of 
these  mementos  of  the  past,  in  the  fresh  hour  of  early 
morning,  in  the  fated  Hall  of  the  Abencerrages.  The 
blood-stained  fountain,  the  legendary  monument  of 


io6  THE  ALHAMBRA 

their  massacre,  is  before  me;  the  lofty  jet  almost 
casts  its  dew  upon  my  paper.  How  difficult  to  recon 
cile  the  ancient  tale  of  violence  and  blood  with  the 
gentle  and  peaceful  scene  around !  Everything  here 
appears  calculated  to  inspire  kind  and  happy  feelings, 
for  everything  is  delicate  and  beautiful.  The  very  light 
falls  tenderly  from  above,  through  the  lantern  of  a 
dome  tinted  and  wrought  as  if  by  fairy  hands.  Through 
the  ample  and  fretted  arch  of  the  portal  I  behold  the 
Court  of  Lions,  with  brilliant  sunshine  gleaming  along 
its  colonnades  and  sparkling  in  its  fountains.  The 
lively  swallow  dives  into  the  court,  and,  rising  with  a 
surge,  darts  away  twittering  over  the  roofs;  the  busy 
bee  toils  humming  among  the  flower-beds ;  and  painted 
butterflies  hover  from  plant  to  plant,  and  flutter  up 
and  sport  with  each  other  in  the  sunny  air.  It  needs 
but  a  slight  exertion  of  the  fancy  to  picture  some  pen 
sive  beauty  of  the  harem,  loitering  in  these  secluded 
haunts  of  Oriental  luxury. 

He,  however,  who  would  behold  this  scene  under 
an  aspect  more  in  unison  with  its  fortunes,  let  him  come 
when  the  shadows  of  evening  temper  the  brightness 
of  the  court,  and  throw  a  gloom  into  the  surrounding 
halls.  Then  nothing  can  be  more  serenely  melancholy, 
or  more  in  harmony  with  trie  tale  of  departed  grandeur. 

At  such  times  I  am  apt  to  seek  the  Hall  of  Justice, 
whose  deep  shadowy  arcades  extend  across  the  upper 
end  of  the  court.  Here  was  performed,  in  presence 
of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella  and  their  triumphant  court, 
the  pompous  ceremonial  of  high  mass,  on  taking  pos 
session  of  the  Alhambra.  The  very  cross  is  still  to  be 
seen  upon  the  wall,  where  the  altar  was  erected,  and 
where  officiated  the  Grand  Cardinal  of  Spain,  and 
others  of  the  highest  religious  dignitaries  of  the  land. 
I  picture  to  myself  the  scene  when  this  place  was  filled 
with  the  conquering  host,  that  mixture  of  mitred  prel 
ate  and  shaven  monk,  and  steel-clad  knight  and  silken 


FOUNTAIN    OF    LIONS. 


THE  COURT  OF  LIONS  107 

courtier ;  when  crosses  and  crosiers  and  religious  stand 
ards  were  mingled  with  proud  armorial  ensigns  and 
the  banners  of  the  haughty  chiefs  of  Spain,  and  flaunted 
in  triumph  through  these  Moslem  halls.  I  picture  to 
myself  Columbus,  the  future  discoverer  of  a  world, 
taking  his  modest  stand  in  a  remote  corner,  the  humble 
and  neglected  spectator  of  the  pageant.  I  see  in  im 
agination  the  Catholic  sovereigns  prostrating  them 
selves  before  the  altar,  and  pouring  forth  thanks  for 
their  victory;  while  the  vaults  resound  with  sacred 
minstrelsy,  and  the  deep-toned  Te  Deum. 

The  transient  illusion  is  over,  —  the  pageant  melts 
from  the  fancy,  —  monarch,  priest,  and  warrior  return 
into  oblivion  with  the  poor  Moslems  over  whom  they 
exulted.  The  hall  of  their  triumph  is  waste  and  deso 
late.  The  bat  flits  about  its  twilight  vault,  and  the 
owl  hoots  from  the  neighboring  Tower  of  Comares. 

Entering  the  Court  of  the  Lions  a  few  evenings 
since,  I  was  almost  startled  at  beholding  a  turbaned 
Moor  quietly  seated  near  the  fountain.  F^r  a  moment 
one  of  the  fictions  of  the  place  seemed  realized :  an 
enchanted  Moor  had  broken  the  spell  of  centuries,  and 
become  visible.  He  proved,  however,  to  be  a  mere 
ordinary  mortal :  a  native  of  Tetuan  in  Barbary,  who 
had  a  shop  in  the  Zacatin  of  Granada,  where  he  sold 
rhubarb,  trinkets,  and  perfumes.  As  he  spoke  Spanish 
fluently,  I  was  enabled  to  hold  conversation  with  him, 
and  found  him  shrewd  and  intelligent.  He  told  me 
that  he  came  up  the  hill  occasionally  in  the  summer, 
to  pass  a  part  of  the  day  in  the  Alhambra,  which 
reminded  him  of  the  old  palaces  in  Barbary,  being 
built  and  adorned  in  similar  style,  though  with  more 
magnificence. 

As  we  walked  about  the  palace,  he  pointed  out  sev 
eral  of  the  Arabic  inscriptions,  as  possessing  much 
poetic  beauty. 

"  Ah,  Senor,"  said  he,  "  when  the  Moors  held  Gra- 


io8  THE  ALHAMBRA 

nada,  they  were  a  gayer  people  than  they  are  now 
adays.  They  thought  only  of  love,  music,  and  poetry. 
They  made  stanzas  upon  every  occasion,  and  set  them 
all  to  music.  He  who  could  make  the  best  verses,  and 
she  who  had  the  most  tuneful  voice,  might  be  sure  of 
favor  and  preferment.  In  those  days,  if  any  one  asked 
for  bread,  the  reply  was,  make  me  a  couplet ;  and  the 
poorest  beggar,  if  he  begged  in  rhyme,  would  often 
be  rewarded  with  a  piece  of  gold." 

"  And  is  the  popular  feeling  for  poetry,"  said  I, 
"entirely  lost  among  you?" 

"  By  no  means,  Senor;  the  people  of  Barbary,  even 
those  of  the  lower  classes,  still  make  couplets,  and 
good  ones  too,  as  in  old  times;  but  talent  is  not  re 
warded  as  it  was  then;  the  rich  prefer  the  jingle  of 
their  gold  to  the  sound  of  poetry  or  music." 

As  he  was  talking,  his  eye  caught  one  of  the  in 
scriptions  which  foretold  perpetuity  to  the  power  and 
glory  of  the  Moslem  monarchs,  the  masters  of  this 
pile.  He  shook  his  head,  and  shrugged  his  shoulders, 
as  he  interpreted  it.  "  Such  might  have  been  the  case," 
said  he;  "the  Moslems  might  still  have  been  reigning 
in  the  Alhambra,  had  not  Boabdil  been  a  traitor,  and 
given  up  his  capital  to  the  Christians.  The  Spanish 
monarchs  would  never  have  been  able  to  conquer  it 
by  open  force." 

I  endeavored  to  vindicate  the  memory  of  the  unlucky 
Boabdil  from  this  aspersion,  and  to  show  that  the 
dissensions  which  led  to  the  downfall  of  the  Moorish 
throne  originated  in  the  cruelty  of  his  tiger-hearted 
father;  but  the  Moor  would  admit  of  no  palliation. 

"  Muley  Abul  Hassan,"  said  he,  "  might  have  been 
cruel ;  but  he  was  brave,  vigilant,  and  patriotic.  Had 
he  been  properly  seconded,  Granada  would  still  have 
been  ours;  but  his  son  Boabdil  thwarted  his  plans, 
crippled  his  power,  sowed  treason  in  his  palace,  and 
dissension  in  his  camp.  May  the  curse  of  God  light 


THE  COURT  OF  LIONS  109 

upon  him  for  his  treachery!"  With  these  words  the 
Moor  left  the  Alhambra. 

The  indignation  of  my  turbaned  companion  agrees 
with  an  anecdote  related  by  a  friend,  who,  in  the  course 
of  a  tour  in  Barbary,  had  an  interview  with  the  Pacha 
of  Tetuan.  The  Moorish  governor  was  particular  in 
his  inquiries  about  Spain,  and  especially  concerning 
the  favored  region  of  Andalusia,  the  delights  of  Gra 
nada,  and  the  remains  of  its  royal  palace.  The  replies 
awakened  all  those  fond  recollections,  so  deeply  cher 
ished  by  the  Moors,  of  the  power  and  splendor  of 
their  ancient  empire  in  Spain.  Turning  to  his  Moslem 
attendants,  the  Pacha  stroked  his  beard,  and  broke 
forth  in  passionate  lamentations,  that  such  a  sceptre 
should  have  fallen  from  the  sway  of  true  believers. 
He  consoled  himself,  however,  with  the  persuasion, 
that  the  power  and  prosperity  of  the  Spanish  nation 
were  on  the  decline;  that  a  time  would  come  when 
the  Moors  would  conquer  their  rightful  domains ;  and 
that  the  day  was  perhaps  not  far  distant  when  Mo 
hammedan  worship  would  again  be  offered  up  in  the 
Mosque  of  Cordova,  and  a  Mohammedan  prince  sit 
on  his  throne  in  the  Alhambra. 

Such  is  the  general  aspiration  and  belief  among  the 
Moors  of  Barbary;  who  consider  Spain,  or  Andaluz, 
as  it  was  anciently  called,  their  rightful  heritage,  of 
which  they  have  been  despoiled  by  treachery  and  vio 
lence.  These  ideas  are  fostered  and  perpetuated  by 
the  descendants  of  the  exiled  Moors  of  Granada, 
scattered  among  the  cities  of  Barbary.  Several  of 
these  reside  in  Tetuan,  preserving  their  ancient  names, 
such  as  Paez  and  Medina,  and  refraining  from  inter 
marriage  with  any  families  who  cannot  claim  the  same 
high  origin.  Their  vaunted  lineage  is  regarded  with 
a  degree  of  popular  deference  rarely  shown  in  Moham 
medan  communities  to  any  hereditary  distinction,  ex 
cepting  in  the  royal  line. 


no  THE  ALHAMBRA 

These  families,  it  is  said,  continue  to  sigh  after  the 
terrestrial  paradise  of  their  ancestors,  and  to  put  up 
prayers  in  their  mosques  on  Fridays,  imploring  Allah 
to  hasten  the  time  when  Granada  shall  be  restored  to 
the  faithful :  an  event  to  which  they  look  forward  as 
fondly  and  confidently  as  did  the  Christian  crusaders 
to  the  recovery  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre.  Nay,  it  is 
added,  that  some  of  them  retain  the  ancient  maps  and 
deeds  of  the  estates  and  gardens  of  their  ancestors  at 
Granada,  and  even  the  keys  of  the  houses;  holding 
them  as  evidences  of  their  hereditary  claims,  to  be  pro 
duced  at  the  anticipated  day  of  restoration. 

My  conversation  with  the  Moors  set  me  to  musing 
on  the  fate  of  Boabdil.  Never  was  surname  more 
applicable  than  that  bestowed  upon  him  by  his  sub 
jects  of  el  Zogoybi,  or  the  Unlucky.  His  misfortunes 
began  almost  in  his  cradle,  and  ceased  not  even  with 
his  dt;th.  If  ever  he  cherished  the  desire  of  leaving 
an  honoi.Vble  name  on  the  historic  page,  how  cruelly  has 
he  been  deivauded  of  his  hopes!  Who  is  there  that 
has  turned  the  least  attention  to  the  romantic  history 
of  the  Moorish  domination  in  Spain,  without  kindling 
with  indignation  at  the  alleged  atrocities  of  Boabdil? 
Who  has  not  been  touched  with  the  woes  of  his  lovely 
and  gentle  queen,  subjected  by  him  to  a  trial  of  life 
and  death,  on  a  false  charge  of  infidelity?  Who  has 
not  been  shocked  by  his  alleged  murder  of  his  sister  and 
her  two  children,  in  a  transport  of  passion  ?  Who  has 
not  felt  his  blood  boil  at  the  inhuman  massacre  of  the 
gallant  Abencerrages,  thirty-six  of  whom,  it  is  affirmed, 
he  ordered  to  be  beheaded  in  the  Court  of  Lions  ?  All 
these  charges  have  been  reiterated  in  various  forms; 
they  have  passed  into  ballads,  dramas,  and  romances, 
until  they  have  taken  too  thorough  possession  of  the 
public  mind  to  be  eradicated.  There  is  not  a  foreigner 
of  education  that  visits  the  Alhambra,  but  asks  for  the 
fountain  where  the  Abencerrages  were  beheaded ;  and 


THE  COURT  OF  LIONS  in 

gazes  with  horror  at  the  grated  gallery  where  the  queen 
is  said  to  have  been  confined ;  not  a  peasant  of  the  Vega 
or  the  Sierra,  but  sings  the  story  in  rude  couplets,  to  the 
accompaniment  of  his  guitar,  while  his  hearers  learn  to 
execrate  the  very  name  of  Boabdil. 

Never,  however,  was  name  more  foully  and  unjustly 
slandered.  I  have  examined  all  the  authentic  chronicles 
and  letters  written  by  Spanish  authors,  contemporary 
with  Boabdil ;  some  of  whom  were  in  the  confidence 
of  the  Catholic  sovereigns,  and  actually  present  in 
the  camp  throughout  the  war.  I  have  examined  all 
the  Arabian  authorities  I  could  get  access  to,  through 
the  medium  of  translation,  and  have  found  nothing  to 
justify  these  dark  and  hateful  accusations.  The  most 
of  these  tales  may  be  traced  to  a  work  commonly  called 
"  The  Civil  Wars  of  Granada,"  containing  a  pretended 
history  of  the  feuds  of  the  Zegries  and  Abencerrages, 
during  the  last  struggle  of  the  Moorish  empire.  The 
work  appeared  originally  in  Spanish,  and  professed  to 
be  translated  from  the  Arabic  by  one  Gines  Perez  de 
Hita,  an  inhabitant  of  Murcia.  It  has  since  passed  into 
various  languages,  and  Florian  has  taken  from  it  much 
of  the  fable  of  his  Gonsalvo  of  Cordova:  it  has  thus, 
in  a  great  measure,  usurped  the  authority  of  real  his 
tory,  and  is  currently  believed  by  the  people,  and  es 
pecially  the  peasantry  of  Granada.  The  whole  of  it, 
however,  is  a  mass  of  fiction,  mingled  with  a  few  dis 
figured  truths,  which  give  it  an  air  of  veracity.  It 
bears  internal  evidence  of  its  falsity ;  the  manners  and 
customs  of  the  Moors  being  extravagantly  misrepre 
sented  in  it,  and  scenes  depicted  totally  incompatible 
with  their  habits  and  their  faith,  and  which  never  could 
have  been  recorded  by  a  Mahometan  writer. 

I  confess  there  seems  to  me  something  almost  crimi 
nal  in  the  wilful  perversions  of  this  work;  great  lati 
tude  is  undoubtedly  to  be  allowed  to  romantic  fiction, 
but  there  are  limits  which  it  must  not  pass;  and  the 


ii2  THE  ALHAMBRA 

names  of  the  distinguished  dead,  which  belong  to  his 
tory,  are  no  more  to  be  calumniated  than  those  of  the 
illustrious  living.  One  would  have  thought,  too,  that 
the  unfortunate  Boabdil  had  suffered  enough  for  his 
justifiable  hostility  to  the  Spaniards,  by  being  stripped 
of  his  kingdom,  without  having  his  name  thus  wan 
tonly  traduced,  and  rendered  a  by-word  and  a  theme 
of  infamy  in  his  native  land,  and  in  the  very  mansion 
of  his  fathers ! 

If  the  reader  is  sufficiently  interested  in  these  ques 
tions  to  tolerate  a  little  historical  detail,  the  following 
facts,  gleaned  from  what  appear  to  be  authentic  sources, 
and  tracing  the  fortunes  of  the  Abencerrages,  may 
serve  to  exculpate  the  unfortunate  Boabdil  from  the 
perfidious  massacre  of  that  illustrious  line  so  shame 
lessly  charged  to  him.  It  will  also  serve  to  throw 
a  proper  light  upon  the  alleged  accusation  and  impris 
onment  of  his  queen. 


THE  ABENCERRAGES 

A  GRAND  line  of  distinction  existed  among  the  Moslems 
of  Spain,  between  those  of  Oriental  origin  and  those 
from  Western  Africa.  Among  the  former  the  Arabs 
considered  themselves  the  purest  race,  as  being  de 
scended  from  the  countrymen  of  the  Prophet,  who  first 
raised  the  standard  of  Islam ;  among  the  latter,  the 
most  warlike  and  powerful  were  the  Berber  tribes  from 
Mount  Atlas  and  the  deserts  of  Sahara,  commonly 
known  as  Moors,  who  subdued  the  tribes  of  the  sea- 
coast,  founded  the  city  of  Morocco,  and  for  a  long 
time  disputed  with  the  Oriental  races  the  control  of 
Moslem  Spain. 

Among  the  Oriental  races  the  Abencerrages  held  a 
distinguished  rank,  priding  themselves  on  a  pure  Arab 


THE  ABENGERRAGES  113 

descent  from  the  Beni  Seraj,  one  of  the  tribes  who 
were  Ansares  or  Companions  of  the  Prophet.  The 
Abencerrages  flourished  for  a  time  at  Cordova;  but 
probably  repaired  to  Granada  after  the  downfall  of 
the  Western  Caliphat;  it  was  there  they  attained 
their  historical  and  romantic  celebrity,  being  foremost 
among  the  splendid  chivalry  which  graced  the  court 
of  the  Alhambra. 

Their  highest  and  most  dangerous  prosperity  was 
during  the  precarious  reign  of  Muhamed  Nasar,  sur- 
named  El  Hayzari,  or  the  Left-handed.  That  ill- 
starred  monarch,  when  he  ascended  the  throne  in  1423, 
lavished  his  favors  upon  this  gallant  line,  making  the 
head  of  the  tribe,  Jusef  Aben  Zeragh,  his  vizier,  or 
prime  minister,  and  advancing  his  relatives  and  friends 
to  the  most  distinguished  posts  about  the  court.  This 
gave  great  offence  to  other  tribes,  and  caused  intrigues 
among  their  chiefs.  Muhamed  lost  popularity  also  by 
his  manners.  He  was  vain,  inconsiderate,  and  haughty ; 
disdained  to  mingle  among  his  subjects ;  forbade  those 
jousts  and  tournaments,  the  delight  of  high  and  low, 
and  passed  his  time  in  the  luxurious  retirement  of  the 
Alhambra.  The  consequence  was  a  popular  insurrec 
tion  :  the  palace  was  stormed ;  the  king  escaped  through 
the  gardens,  fled  to  the  sea-coast,  crossed  in  disguise 
to  Africa,  and  took  refuge  with  his  kinsman,  the  sov 
ereign  of  Tunis. 

Muhamed  el  Zaguer,  cousin  of  the  fugitive  monarch, 
took  possession  of  the  vacant  throne.  He  pursued  a 
different  course  from  his  predecessor.  He  not  only 
gave  fetes  and  tourneys,  but  entered  the  lists  himself, 
in  grand  and  sumptuous  array ;  he  distinguished  him 
self  in  managing  his  horse,  in  tilting,  riding  at  the 
ring,  and  other  chivalrous  exercises ;  feasted  with  his 
cavaliers,  and  made  them  magnificent  presents. 

Those  who  had  been  in  favor  with  his  predecessor, 
now  experienced  a  reverse;  he  manifested  such  hos- 

8 


H4  THE  ALHAMBRA 

tility  to  them  that  more  than  five  hundred  of  the  prin 
cipal  cavaliers  left  the  city.  Jusef  Aben  Zeragh,  with 
forty  of  the  Abencerrages,  abandoned  Granada  in  the 
night,  and  sought  the  court  of  Juan  the  king  of  Cas 
tile.  Moved  by  their  representations,  that  young  and 
generous  monarch  wrote  letters  to  the  sovereign  of 
Tunis,  inviting  him  to  assist  in  punishing  the  usurper 
and  restoring  the  exiled  king  to  his  throne.  The  faith 
ful  and  indefatigable  vizier  accompanied  the  bearer  of 
these  letters  to  Tunis,  where  he  rejoined  his  exiled 
sovereign.  The  letters  were  successful.  Muhamed  el 
Hayzari  landed  in  Andalusia  with  five  hundred  African 
horse,  and  was  joined  by  the  Abencerrages  and  others 
of  his  adherents  and  by  his  Christian  allies;  wherever 
he  appeared  the  people  submitted  to  him ;  troops  sent 
against  him  deserted  to  his  standard;  Granada  was 
recovered  without  a  blow ;  the  usurper  retreated  to  the 
Alhambra,  but  was  beheaded  by  his  own  soldiers 
(1428),  after  reigning  between  two  and  three  years. 

El  Hayzari,  once  more  on  the  throne,  heaped  honors 
on  the  loyal  vizier,  through  whose  faithful  services 
he  had  been  restored,  and  once  more  the  line  of  the 
Abencerrages  basked  in  the  sunshine  of  royal  favor. 
El  Hayzari  sent  ambassadors  to  King  Juan,  thanking 
him  for  his  aid,  and  proposing  a  perpetual  league  of 
amity.  The  king  of  Castile  required  homage  and  yearly 
tribute.  These  the  left-handed  monarch  refused,  sup 
posing  the  youthful  king  too  much  engaged  in  civil 
war  to  enforce  his  claims.  Again  the  kingdom  of 
Granada  was  harassed  by  invasions,  and  its  Vega  laid 
waste.  Various  battles  took  place  with  various  suc 
cess.  But  El  Hayzari's  greatest  danger  was  near  at 
home.  There  was  at  that  time  in  Granada  a  cavalier, 
Don  Pedro  Venegas  by  name,  a  Moslem  by  faith,  but 
Christian  by  descent,  whose  early  history  borders  on 
romance.  He  was  of  the  noble  house  of  Luque,  but 
captured  when  a  child,  eight  years  of  age,  by  Cid  Yahia 


THE  ABENCERRAGES  115 

Alnayar,  prince  of  Almeria,1  who  adopted  him  as  his 
son,  educated  him  in  the  Moslem  faith,  and  brought 
him  up  among  his  children,  the  Celtimerian  princes, 
a  proud  family,  descended  in  direct  line  from  Aben 
Hud,  one  of  the  early  Granadian  kings.  A  mutual 
attachment  sprang  up  between  Don  Pedro  and  the 
princess  Cetimerien,  a  daughter  of  Cid  Yahia,  famous 
for  her  beauty,  and  whose  name  is  perpetuated  by  the 
ruins  of  her  palace  in  Granada  —  still  bearing  traces 
of  Moorish  elegance  and  luxury.  In  process  of  time 
they  were  married;  and  thus  a  scion  of  the  Spanish 
house  of  Luque  became  engrafted  on  the  royal  stock 
of  Aben  Hud. 

Such  is  the  early  story  of  Don  Pedro  Venegas,  who 
at  the  time  of  which  we  treat  was  a  man  mature  in 
years,  and  of  an  active,  ambitious  spirit.  He  appears 
to  have  been  the  soul  of  a  conspiracy  set  on  foot  about 
this  time,  to  topple  Muhamed  the  Left-handed  from 
his  unsteady  throne,  and  elevate  in  his  place  Yusef 
Aben  Alhamar,  the  eldest  of  the  Celtimerian  princes. 
The  aid  of  the  king  of  Castile  was  to  be  secured,  and 
Don  Pedro  proceeded  on  a  secret  embassy  to  Cordova 
for  the  purpose.  He  informed  King  Juan  of  the  ex 
tent  of  the  conspiracy;  that  Yusef  Aben  Alhamar 
could  bring  a  large  force  to  his  standard  as  soon  as 
he  should  appear  in  the  Vega,  and  would  acknowledge 
himself  his  vassal,  if  with  his  aid  he  should  attain  the 
crown.  The  aid  was  promised  and  Don  Pedro  has 
tened  back  to  Granada  with  the  tidings.  The  con 
spirators  now  left  the  city,  a  few  at  a  time,  under 
various  pretexts;  and  when  King  Juan  passed  the 
frontier,  Yusef  Aben  Alhamar  brought  eight  thousand 
men  to  his  standard,  and  kissed  his  hand  in  token  of 
allegiance. 

It  is  needless  to  recount  the  various  battles  by  which 
the  kingdom  was  desolated,  and  the  various  intrigues 

1  Alcantara,  Hist.  Granad.,  O.  3,  p.  226,  note. 


u6  THE  ALHAMBRA 

by  which  one  half  of  it  was  roused  to  rebellion.  The 
Abencerrages  stood  by  the  failing  fortunes  of  Mu- 
hamed  throughout  the  struggle;  their  last  stand  was 
at  Loxa,  where  their  chief,  the  vizier  Yusef  Aben 
Zeragh,  fell  bravely  fighting,  and  many  of  their  no 
blest  cavaliers  were  slain :  in  fact,  in  that  disastrous 
war  the  fortunes  of  the  family  were  nearly  wrecked. 

Again  the  ill-starred  Muhamed  was  driven  from  his 
throne,  and  took  refuge  in  Malaga,  the  alcayde  of 
which  still  remained  true  to  him. 

Yusef  Aben  Alhamar,  commonly  known  as  Yusef  II., 
entered  Granada  in  triumph  on  the  first  of  January, 
1432,  but  he  found  it  a  melancholy  city,  where  half 
of  the  inhabitants  were  in  mourning.  Not  a  noble 
family  but  had  lost  some  member;  and  in  the  slaughter 
of  the  Abencerrages  at  Loxa  had  fallen  some  of  the 
brightest  of  the  chivalry. 

The  royal  pageant  passed  through  silent  streets,  and 
the  barren  homage  of  a  court  in  the  halls  of  the  Al- 
hambra  ill  supplied  the  want  of  sincere  and  popular 
devotion.  Yusef  Aben  Alhamar  felt  the  insecurity  of 
his  position.  The  deposed  monarch  was  at  hand  in 
Malaga;  the  sovereign  of  Tunis  espoused  his  cause, 
and  pleaded  with  the  Christian  monarchs  in  his  favor ; 
above  all,  Yusef  felt  his  own  unpopularity  in  Granada ; 
previous  fatigues  had  impaired  his  health,  a  profound 
melancholy  settled  upon  him,  and  in  the  course  of  six 
months  he  sank  into  the  grave. 

At  the  news  of  his  death,  Muhamed  the  Left-handed 
hastened  from  Malaga,  and  again  was  placed  on  the 
throne.  From  the  wrecks  of  the  Abencerrages  he 
chose  as  vizier  Abdelbar,  one  of  the  worthiest  of  that 
magnanimous  line.  Through  his  advice  he  restrained 
his  vindictive  feelings  and  adopted  a  conciliatory  policy. 
He  pardoned  most  of  his  enemies.  Yusef,  the  defunct 
usurper,  had  left  three  children.  His  estates  were  ap 
portioned  among  them.  Aben  Celim,  the  eldest  son, 


THE  ABENCERRAGES  117 

was  confirmed  in  the  title  of  Prince  of  Almeria  and 
Lord  of  Marchena  in  the  Alpuxarras.  Ahmed,  the 
youngest,  was  made  Senor  of  Luchar;  and  Equivila, 
the  daughter,  received  rich  patrimonial  lands  in  the  fer 
tile  Vega,  and  various  houses  and  shops  in  the  Zacatin 
of  Granada.  The  vizier  Abdelbar  counselled  the  king, 
moreover,  to  secure  the  adherence  of  the  family  by 
matrimonial  connections.  An  aunt  of  Muhamed  was 
accordingly  given  in  marriage  to  Aben  Celim,  while 
the  prince  Nasar,  younger  brother  of  the  deceased 
usurper,  received  the  hand  of  the  beautiful  Lindaraxa, 
daughter  of  Muhamed's  faithful  adherent,  the  alcayde 
of  Malaga.  This  was  the  Lindaraxa  whose  name  still 
designates  one  of  the  gardens  of  the  Alhambra. 

Don  Pedro  de  Venegas  alone,  the  husband  of  the 
princess  Cetimerien,  received  no  favor.  He  was  con 
sidered  as  having  produced  the  late  troubles  by  his 
intrigues.  The  Abencerrages  charged  him  with  the 
reverses  of  their  family  and  the  deaths  of  so  many  of 
their  bravest  cavaliers.  The  king  never  spoke  of  him 
but  by  the  opprobrious  appellation  of  the  Tornadizo,  or 
Renegade.  Finding  himself  in  clanger  of  arrest  and 
punishment,  he  took  leave  of  his  wife,  the  princess,  his 
two  sons,  Abul  Cacim  and  Reduan,  and  his  daughter, 
Cetimerien,  and  fled  to  Jaen.  There,  like  his  brother- 
in-law,  the  usurper,  he  expiated  his  intrigues  and  irreg 
ular  ambition  by  profound  humiliation  and  melancholy, 
and  died  in  1434  a  penitent,  because  a  disappointed 
man.1 

Muhamed  el  Hayzari  was  doomed  to  further  re 
verses.  He  had  two  nephews,  Aben  Osmyn,  surnamed 
el  Anaf,  or  the  Lame,  and  Aben  Ismael.  The  former, 
who  was  of  an  ambitious  spirit,  resided  in  Almeria; 
the  latter  in  Granada,  where  he  had  many  friends.  He 
was  on  the  point  of  espousing  a  beautiful  girl,  when 

1  Salazar  y  Castro,  Hist.  Genealog.  de  la  Casa  de  Lara,  lib.  v.  c. 
12,  cited  by  Alcantara  in  his  Hist.  Granad. 


n8  THE  ALHAMBRA 

his  royal  uncle  interfered  and  gave  her  to  one  of  his 
favorites.  Enraged  at  this  despotic  act,  the  prince 
Aben  Ismael  took  horse  and  weapons  and  sallied  from 
Granada  for  the  frontier,  followed  by  numerous  cav 
aliers.  The  affair  gave  general  disgust,  especially  to 
the  Abencerrages  who  were  attached  to  the  prince. 
No  sooner  did  tidings  reach  Aben  Osmyn  of  the  public 
discontent  than  his  ambition  was  aroused.  Throwing 
himself  suddenly  into  Granada,  he  raised  a  popular 
tumult,  surprised  his  uncle  in  the  Alhambra,  compelled 
him  to  abdicate,  and  proclaimed  himself  king.  This 
occurred  in  September,  1445.  The  Abencerrages  now 
gave  up  the  fortunes  of  the  left-handed  king  as  hope 
less,  and  himself  as  incompetent  to  rule.  Led  by  their 
kinsman,  the  vizier  Abdelbar,  and  accompanied  by 
many  other  cavaliers,  they  abandoned  the  court  and 
took  post  in  Montefrio.  Thence  Abdelbar  wrote  to 
Prince  Aben  Ismael,  who  had  taken  refuge  in  Castile, 
inviting  him  to  the  camp,  offering  to  support  his  pre 
tensions  to  the  throne,  and  advising  him  to  leave  Cas 
tile  secretly,  lest  his  departure  should  be  opposed  by 
King  Juan  II.  The  prince,  however,  confiding  in  the 
generosity  of  the  Castilian  monarch,  told  frankly  the 
whole  matter.  He  was  not  mistaken.  King  Juan  not 
merely  gave  him  permission  to  depart,  but  promised 
him  aid,  and  gave  him  letters  to  that  effect  to  his  com 
manders  on  the  frontiers.  Aben  Ismael  departed  with 
a  brilliant  escort,  arrived  in  safety  at  Montefrio,  and 
was  proclaimed  king  of  Granada  by  Abdelbar  and  his 
partisans,  the  most  important  of  whom  were  the  Aben 
cerrages.  A  long  course  of  civil  wars  ensued  between 
the  two  cousins,  rivals  for  the  throne.  Aben  Osmyn 
was  aided  by  the  kings  of  Navarre  and  Aragon,  while 
Juan  II.,  at  war  with  his  rebellious  subjects,  could  give 
little  assistance  to  Aben  Ismael. 

Thus  for  several  years  the  country  was  torn  by  inter 
nal  strife  and  desolated  by  foreign  inroads,  so  that 


THE  ABENCERRAGES  119 

scarce  a  field  but  was  stained  with  blood.  Aben  Osmyn 
was  brave,  and  often  signalized  himself  in  arms;  but 
he  was  cruel  and  despotic,  and  ruled  with  an  iron  hand. 
He  offended  the  nobles  by  his  caprices,  and  the  popu 
lace  by  his  tyranny,  while  his  rival  cousin  conciliated 
all  hearts  of  his  benignity.  Hence  there  were  continual 
desertions  from  Granada  to  the  fortified  camp  at  Mon- 
tefrio,  and  the  party  of  Aben  Ismael  was  constantly 
gaining  strength.  At  length  the  king  of  Castile,  having 
made  peace  with  the  kings  of  Aragon  and  Navarre, 
was  enabled  to  send  a  choice  body  of  troops  to  the 
assistance  of  Aben  Ismael.  The  latter  now  left  his 
trenches  in  Montefrio,  and  took  the  field.  The  com 
bined  forces  marched  upon  Granada.  Aben  Osmyn 
sallied  forth  to  the  encounter.  A  bloody  battle  ensued, 
in  which  both  of  the  rival  cousins  fought  with  heroic 
valor.  Aben  Osmyn  was  defeated  and  driven  back  to 
his  gates.  He  summoned  the  inhabitants  to  arms,  but 
few  answered  to  his  call ;  his  cruelty  had  alienated  all 
hearts.  Seeing  his  fortunes  at  an  end,  he  determined 
to  close  his  career  by  a  signal  act  of  vengeance.  Shut 
ting  himself  up  in  the  Alhambra,  he  summoned  thither 
a  number  of  the  principal  cavaliers  whom  he  suspected 
of  disloyalty.  As  they  entered,  they  were  one  by  one 
put  to  death.  This  is  supposed  by  some  to  be  the  mas 
sacre  which  gave  its  fatal  name  to  the  Hall  of  the  Aben- 
cerrages.  Having  perpetrated  this  atrocious  act  of  ven 
geance,  and  hearing  by  the  shouts  of  the  populace  that 
Aben  Ismael  was  already  proclaimed  king  in  the  city, 
he  escaped  with  his  satellites  by  the  Cerro  del  Sol  and 
the  valley  of  the  Darro  to  the  Alpuxarra  Mountains; 
where  he  and  his  followers  led  a  kind  of  robber  life, 
laying  villages  and  roads  under  contribution. 

Aben  Ismael  II.,  who  thus  attained  the  throne  in 
1454,  secured  the  friendship  of  King  Juan  II.  by  acts 
of  homage  and  magnificent  presents.  He  gave  liberal 
rewards  to  those  who  had  been  faithful  to  him,  and 


120  THE  ALHAMBRA 

consoled  the  families  of  those  who  had  fallen  in  his 
cause.  During  his  reign,  the  Abencerrages  were  again 
among  the  most  favored  of  the  brilliant  chivalry  that 
graced  his  court.  Aben  Ismael,  however,  was  not  of 
a  warlike  spirit ;  his  reign  was  distinguished  rather  by 
works  of  public  utility,  the  ruins  of  some  of  which  are 
still  to  be  seen  on  the  Cerro  del  Sol. 

In  the  same  year  of  1454  Juan  II.  died,  and  was 
succeeded  by  Henry  IV.  of  Castile,  surnamed  the  Im 
potent.  Aben  Ismael  neglected  to  renew  the  league 
of  amity  with  him  which  had  existed  with  his  prede 
cessor,  as  he  found  it  to  be  unpopular  with  the  people 
of  Granada.  King  Henry  resented  the  omissions,  and, 
under  pretext  of  arrears  of  tribute,  made  repeated 
forays  into  the  kingdom  of  Granada.  He  gave  counte 
nance  also  to  Aben  Osmyn  and  his  robber  hordes,  and 
took  some  of  them  into  pay;  but  his  proud  cavaliers 
refused  to  associate  with  infidel  outlaws,  and  deter 
mined  to  seize  Aben  Osmyn ;  who,  however,  made  his 
escape,  first  to  Seville,  and  thence  to  Castile. 

In  the  year  1456,  on  the  occasion  of  a  great  foray 
into  the  Vega  by  the  Christians,  Aben  Ismael,  to  secure 
a  peace,  agreed  to  pay  the  king  of  Castile  a  certain 
tribute  annually,  and  at  the  same  time  to  liberate  six 
hundred  Christian  captives;  or,  should  the  number  of 
captives  fall  short,  to  make  it  up  in  Moorish  hostages. 
Aben  Ismael  fulfilled  the  rigorous  terms  of  the  treaty, 
and  reigned  for  a  number  of  years  with  more  tran 
quillity  than  usually  fell  to  the  lot  of  the  monarchs 
of  that  belligerent  kingdom.  Granada  enjoyed  a  great 
state  of  prosperity  during  his  reign,  and  was  the  seat 
of  festivity  and  splendor.  His  sultana  was  a  daughter 
of  Cid  Hiaya  Abraham  Alnayar,  prince  of  Almeria ; 
and  he  had  by  her  two  sons,  Abul  Hassan,  and  Abi 
Abdallah,  surnamed  El  Zagal,  the  father  and  uncle  of 
Boabdil.  We  approach  now  the  eventful  period  sig 
nalized  by  the  conquest  of  Granada. 


THE  ABENCERRAGES  121 

Muley  Abul  Hassan  succeeded  to  the  throne  on  the 
death  of  his  father  in  1465.  One  of  his  first  acts  was 
to  refuse  payment  of  the  degrading  tribute  exacted 
by  the  Castilian  monarch.  His  refusal  was  one  of  the 
causes  of  the  subsequent  disastrous  war.  I  confine 
myself,  however,  to  facts  connected  with  the  fortunes 
of  the  Abencerrages  and  the  charges  advanced  against 
Boabdil. 

The  reader  will  recollect  that  Don  Pedro  Venegas, 
surnamed  El  Tornadizo,  when  he  fled  from  Granada 
in  1433,  left  behind  him  two  sons,  Abul  Cacim  and 
Reduan,  and  a  daughter,  Cetimerien.  They  always 
enjoyed  a  distinguished  rank  in  Granada,  from  their 
royal  descent  by  the  mother's  side,  and  from  being 
connected,  through  the  princes  of  Almeria,  with  the 
last  and  the  present  king.  The  sons  had  distinguished 
themselves  by  their  talents  and  bravery,  and  the  daugh 
ter  Cetimerien  was  married  to  Cid  Hiaya,  grandson 
of  King  Yusef  and  brother-in-law  of  El  Zagal.  Thus 
powerfully  connected,  it  is  not  surprising  to  find  Abul 
Cacim  Venegas  advanced  to  the  post  of  vizier  of 
Muley  Abul  Hassan,  and  Reduan  Venegas  one  of  his 
most  favored  generals.  Their  rise  was  regarded  with 
an  evil  eye  by  the  Abencerrages,  who  remembered  the 
disasters  brought  upon  their  family,  and  the  deaths  of 
so  many  of  their  line,  in  the  war  fomented  by  the  in 
trigues  of  Don  Pedro,  in  the  days  of  Yusef  Aben 
Alhamar.  A  feud  had  existed  ever  since  between  the 
Abencerrages  and  the  house  of  Venegas.  It  was  soon 
to  be  aggravated  by  a  formidable  schism  which  took 
place  in  the  royal  harem. 

Muley  Abul  Hassan,  in  his  youthful  days,  had  mar 
ried  his  cousin,  the  Princess  Ayxa  la  Horra,  daughter 
of  his  uncle,  the  ill-starred  sultan,  Muhamed  the  Left- 
handed  ; l  by  her  he  had  two  sons,  the  eldest  of  whom 
was  Boabdil,  heir  presumptive  to  the  throne.  Unfor- 
1  Al  Makkari,  B.  VIII.  c.  7. 


122  THE  ALHAMBRA 

tunately  at  an  advanced  age  he  took  another  wife, 
Isabella  de  Solis,  a  young  and  beautiful  Christian  cap 
tive,  better  known  by  her  Moorish  appellation  of 
Zoraya;  by  her  he  had  also  two  sons.  Two  factions 
were  produced  in  the  palace  by  the  rivalry  of  the  sul 
tanas,  who  were  each  anxious  to  secure  for  their  chil 
dren  the  succession  to  the  throne.  Zoraya  was  sup 
ported  by  the  vizier  Abul  Cacim  Venegas,  his  brother 
Reduan  Venegas,  and  their  numerous  connections, 
partly  through  sympathy  with  her  as  being,  like  them 
selves,  of  Christian  lineage,  and  partly  because  they 
saw  she  was  the  favorite  of  the  doting  monarch. 

The  Abencerrages,  on  the  contrary,  rallied  round 
the  sultana  Ayxa;  partly  through  hereditary  opposi 
tion  to  the  family  of  Venegas,  but  chiefly,  no  doubt, 
through  a  strong  feeling  of  loyalty  to  her  as  daughter 
of  Muhamed  Alhayzari,  the  ancient  benefactor  of  their 
line. 

The  dissensions  of  the  palace  went  on  increasing. 
Intrigues  of  all  kinds  took  place,  as  is  usual  in  royal 
palaces.  Suspicions  were  artfully  instilled  in  the  mind 
of  Muley  Abul  Hassan  that  Ayxa  was  engaged  in  a 
plot  to  depose  him  and  put  her  son  Boabdil  on  the 
throne.  In  his  first  transports  of  rage  he  confined  them 
both  in  the  Tower  of  Comares,  threatening  the  life  of 
Boabdil.  At  dead  of  night  the  anxious  mother 
lowered  her  son  from  a  window  of  the  tower  by  the 
scarfs  of  herself  and  her  female  attendants;  and  some 
of  her  adherents,  who  were  in  waiting  with  swift 
horses,  bore  him  away  to  the  Alpuxarras.  It  is  this 
imprisonment  of  the  sultana  Ayxa  which  possibly 
gave  rise  to  the  fable  of  the  queen  of  Boabdil  being 
confined  by  him  in  a  tower  to  be  tried  for  her  life.  No 
other  shadow  of  a  ground  exists  for  it,  and  here  we 
find  the  tyrant  jailer  was  his  father,  and  the  captive 
sultana  his  mother. 

The  massacre  of  the  Abencerrages  in  the  halls  of  the 


THE  ABENCERRAGES  123 

Alhambra  is  placed  by  some  about  this  time,  and  at 
tributed  also  to  Muley  Abul  Hassan,  on  suspicion  of 
their  being  concerned  in  the  conspiracy.  The  sacrifice 
of  a  number  of  the  cavaliers  of  that  line  is  said  to  have 
been  suggested  by  the  vizier  Abul  Cacim  Venegas,  as 
a  means  of  striking  terror  into  the  rest.1  If  such  were 
really  the  case,  the  barbarous  measure  proved  abor 
tive.  The  Abencerrages  continued  intrepid,  as  they 
were  loyal,  in  their  adherence  to  the  cause  of  Ayxa 
and  her  son  Boabdil,  throughout  the  war  which  en 
sued,  while  the  Venegas  were  ever  foremost  in  the 
ranks  of  Muley  Abul  Hassan  and  El  Zagal.  The  ulti 
mate  fortunes  of  these  rival  families  is  worthy  of  note. 
The  Venegas,  in  the  last  struggle  of  Granada,  were 
among  those  who  submitted  to  the  conquerors,  re 
nounced  the  Moslem  creed,  returned  to  the  faith  from 
which  their  ancestor  had  apostatized,  were  rewarded 
with  offices  and  estates,  intermarried  with  Spanish 
families,  and  have  left  posterity  among  the  nobles  of 
the  land.  The  Abencerrages  remained  true  to  their 
faith,  true  to  their  king,  true  to  their  desperate  cause, 
and  went  down  with  the  foundering  wreck  of  Moslem 
domination,  leaving  nothing  behind  them  but  a  gallant 
and  romantic  name  in  history. 

In  this  historical  outline,  I  trust  I  have  shown  enough 
to  put  the  fable  concerning  Boabdil  and  the  Abencer 
rages  in  a  true  light.  The  story  of  the  accusation  of 
his  queen,  and  his  cruelty  to  his  sister,  are  equally  void 
of  foundation.  In  his  domestic  relations  he  appears 
to  have  been  kind  and  affectionate.  History  gives  him 
but  one  wife,  Morayma,  the  daughter  of  the  veteran 
alcayde  of  Loxa,  old  Aliatar,  famous  in  song  and  story 
for  his  exploits  in  border  warfare;  and  who  fell  in 
that  disastrous  foray  into  the  Christian  lands  in  which 

1  Alcantara,  Hist.  Granad.,  c.  17.  See  also  Al  Makkari,  Hist. 
Mohama.  Dynasties,  B.  VIII.  c.  7,  with  the  Commentaries  of  Don 
Pascual  de  Guyangos. 


124  THE  ALHAMBRA 

Boabdil  was  taken  prisoner.  Morayma  was  true  to 
Boabdil  throughout  all  his  vicissitudes.  When  he  was 
dethroned  by  the  Castilian  monarchs,  she  retired  with 
him  to  the  petty  domain  allotted  him  in  the  valleys  of 
the  Alpuxarras.  It  was  only  when  (dispossessed  of 
this  by  the  jealous  precautions  and  subtle  chicanery  of 
Ferdinand,  and  elbowed,  as  it  were,  out  of  his  native 
land)  he  was  preparing  to  embark  for  Africa,  that  her 
health  and  spirits,  exhausted  by  anxiety  and  long  suf 
fering,  gave  way,  and  she  fell  into  a  lingering  illness 
aggravated  by  corroding  melancholy.  Boabdil  was 
constant  and  affectionate  to  her  to  the  last ;  the  sailing 
of  the  ships  was  delayed  for  several  weeks,  to  the  great 
annoyance  of  the  suspicious  Ferdinand.  At  length 
Morayma  sank  into  the  grave,  evidently  the  victim  of 
a  broken  heart,  and  the  event  was  reported  to  Fer 
dinand  by  his  agent  as  one  propitious  to  his  purposes, 
removing  the  only  obstacle  to  the  embarkation  of 
Boabdil.1 


MEMENTOS   OF   BOABDIL 

WHILE  my  mind  was  still  warm  with  the  subject  of 
the  unfortunate  Boabdil,  I  set  forth  to  trace  the  me 
mentos  of  him  still  existing  in  this  scene  of  his  sover 
eignty  and  misfortunes.  In  the  Tower  of  Comares, 
immediately  under  the  Hall  of  Ambassadors,  are  two 
vaulted  rooms,  separated  by  a  narrow  passage;  these 
are  said  to  have  been  the  prisons  of  himself  and  his 
mother,  the  virtuous  Ayxa  la  Horra ;  indeed,  no  other 
part  of  the  tower  would  have  served  for  the  purpose. 
The  external  walls  of  these  chambers  are  of  prodigious 
thickness,  pierced  with  small  windows  secured  by  iron 

1  For  authorities  for  these  latter  facts,  see  the  Appendix  to  the 
author's  revised  edition  of  the  Conquest  of  Granada. 


MEMENTOS  OF  BOABDIL  125 

bars.  A  narrow  stone  gallery,  with  a  low  parapet,  ex 
tends  along  three  sides  of  the  tower  just  below  the 
windows,  but  at  a  considerable  height  from  the  ground. 
From  this  gallery,  it  is  presumed,  the  queen  lowered 
her  son  with  the  scarfs  of  herself  and  her  female  at 
tendants  during  the  darkness  of  the  night  to  the  hill 
side,  where  some  of  his  faithful  adherents  waited  with 
fleet  steeds  to  bear  him  to  the  mountains. 

Between  three  and  four  hundred  years  have  elapsed, 
yet  this  scene  of  the  drama  remains  almost  unchanged. 
As  I  paced  the  gallery,  my  imagination  pictured  the 
anxious  queen  leaning  over  the  parapet,  listening,  with 
the  throbbings  of  a  mother's  heart,  to  the  last  echoes 
of  the  horses'  hoofs  as  her  son  scoured  along  the  nar 
row  valley  of  the  Darro. 

I  next  sought  the  gate  by  which  Boabdil  made  his 
last  exit  from  the  Alhambra,  when  about  to  surrender 
his  capital  and  kingdom.  With  the  melancholy  caprice 
of  a  broken  spirit,  or  perhaps  with  some  superstitious 
feeling,  he  requested  of  the  Catholic  monarchs  that 
no  one  afterwards  might  be  permitted  to  pass  through 
it.  His  prayer,  according  to  ancient  chronicles,  was 
complied  with,  through  the  sympathy  of  Isabella,  and 
the  gate  was  walled  up.1 

I  inquired  for  some  time  in  vain  for  such  a  portal ; 
at  length  my  humble  attendant,  Mateo  Ximenes,  said 
it  must  be  one  closed  up  with  stones,  which,  according 
to  what  he  had  heard  from  his  father  and  grandfather, 
was  the  gateway  by  which  King  Chico  had  left  the  for 
tress.  There  was  a  mystery  about  it,  and  it  had 

1  Ay  una  puerta  en  la  Alhambra  por  la  qual  salio  Chico  Rey  de 
los  Moros,  quando  si  rindio  prisionero  al  Rey  de  Espafia  D.  Fer 
nando,  y  le  entrego  la  ciudad  con  el  castillo.  Pidio  esta  principe 
como  por  merced,  y  en  memoria  de  tan  importante  conquista,  al 
que  quedasse  siempre  cerrada  esta  puerta.  Consintio  en  allo  el 
Rey  Fernando,  y  des  de  aquel  tiempo  no  solamente  no  se  abrio  la 
puerta  sino  tambien  se  construyo  junto  a  ella  fuerte  bastion.  — 
MORERI'S  Historical  Dictionary,  Spanish  Edition,  Vol.  I.  p.  372. 


126  THE  ALHAMBRA 

never  been  opened  within  the  memory  of  the  oldest 
inhabitant. 

He  conducted  me  to  the  spot.  The  gateway  is  in  the 
centre  of  what  was  once  an  immense  pile,  called  the 
Tower  of  the  Seven  Floors  (la  Torre  de  los  siete 
suelos} .  It  is  famous  in  the  neighborhood  as  the  scene 
of  strange  apparitions  and  Moorish  enchantments. 
According  to  Swinburne  the  traveller,  it  was  originally 
the  great  gate  of  entrance.  The  antiquaries  of  Gra 
nada  pronounce  it  the  entrance  to  that  quarter  of  the 
royal  residence  where  the  king's  body-guards  were  sta 
tioned.  It  therefore  might  well  form  an  immediate 
entrance  and  exit  to  the  palace;  while  the  grand  Gate 
of  Justice  served  as  the  entrance  of  state  to  the  fortress. 
When  Boabdil  sallied  by  this  gate  to  descend  to  the 
Vega,  where  he  was  to  surrender  the  keys  of  the  city 
to  the  Spanish  sovereigns,  he  left  his  vizier  Aben 
Comixa  to  receive,  at  the  Gate  of  Justice,  the  detach 
ment  from  the  Christian  army  and  the  officers  to  whom 
the  fortress  was  to  be  given  up.1 

The  once  redoubtable  Tower  of  the  Seven  Floors  is 
now  a  mere  wreck,  having  been  blown  up  with  gun 
powder  by  the  French,  when  they  abandoned  the  for 
tress.  Great  masses  of  the  wall  lie  scattered  about, 
buried  in  luxuriant  herbage,  or  overshadowed  by  vines 
and  fig-trees.  The  arch  of  the  gateway,  though  rent 
by  the  shock,  still  remains ;  but  the  last  wish  of  poor 
Boabdil  has  again,  though  unintentionally,  been  ful 
filled,  for  the  portal  has  been  closed  up  by  loose  stones 
gathered  from  the  ruins,  and  remains  impassable. 

Mounting  my  horse,  I  followed  up  the  route  of  the 
Moslem  monarch  from  this  place  of  his  exit.  Crossing 
the  hill  of  Los  Martyros,  and  keeping  along  the  garden- 

1  The  minor  details  of  the  surrender  of  Granada  have  been 
stated  in  different  ways  even  by  eye-witnesses.  The  author,  in  his 
revised  edition  of  the  Conquest,  has  endeavored  to  adjust  them  ac 
cording  to  the  latest  and  apparently  best  authorities. 


MEMENTOS  OE  BOABDIL  127 

wall  of  a  convent  bearing  the  same  name,  I  descended 
a  rugged  ravine  beset  by  thickets  of  aloes  and  Indian 
figs,  and  lined  with  caves  and  hovels  swarming  with 
gypsies.  The  descent  was  so  steep  and  broken  that  I 
was  fain  to  alight  and  lead  my  horse.  By  this  via 
dolorosa  poor  Boabdil  took  his  sad  departure  to  avoid 
passing  through  the  city;  partly,  perhaps,  through  un 
willingness  that  its  inhabitants  should  behold  his  hu 
miliation  ;  but  chiefly,  in  all  probability,  lest  it  might 
cause  some  popular  agitation.  For  the  last  reason,  un 
doubtedly,  the  detachment  sent  to  take  possession  of 
the  fortress  ascended  by  the  same  route. 

Emerging  from  this  rough  ravine,  so  full  of  melan 
choly  associations,  and  passing  by  the  puerta  dc  los 
molinos  (the  gate  of  the  mills),  I  issued  forth  upon 
the  public  promenade  called  the  Prado;  and  pursuing 
the  course  of  the  Xenil,  arrived  at  a  small  chapel,  once 
a  mosque,  now  the  Hermitage  of  San  Sebastian.  Here, 
according  to  tradition,  Boabdil  surrendered  the  keys 
of  Granada  to  King  Ferdinand.  I  rode  slowly  thence 
across  the  Vega  to  a  village  where  the  family  and 
household  of  the  unhappy  king  awaited  him,  for  he  had 
sent  them  forward  on  the  preceding  night  from  the 
Alhambra,  that  his  mother  and  wife  might  not  partici 
pate  in  his  personal  humiliation,  or  be  exposed  to  the 
gaze  of  the  conquerors.  Following  on  in  the  route  of 
the  melancholy  band  of  royal  exiles,  I  arrived  at  the 
foot  of  a  chain  of  barren  and  dreary  heights,  forming 
the  skirt  of  the  Alpuxarra  Mountains.  From  the  sum 
mit  of  one  of  these  the  unfortunate  Boabdil  took  his 
last  look  at  Granada;  it  bears  a  name  expressive  of 
his  sorrows.  La  Cucsta  de  las  Lagrimas  (the  hill  of 
tears).  Beyond  it,  a  sandy  road  winds  across  a  rugged 
cheerless  waste,  doubly  dismal  to  the  unhappy  monarch, 
as  it  led  to  exile. 

I  spurred  my  horse  to  the  summit  of  a  rock,  wrhere 
Boabdil  uttered  his  last  sorrowful  exclamation,  as  he 


128  THE  ALHAMBRA 

turned  his  eyes  from  taking-  their  farewell  gaze:  it  is 
still  denominated  el  ultimo  suspiro  del  Moro  (the  last 
sigh  of  the  Moor).  Who  can  wonder  at  his  anguish 
at  being  expelled  from  such  a  kingdom  and  such  an 
abode?  With  the  Alhambra  he  seemed  to  be  yielding 
up  all  the  honors  of  his  line,  and  all  the  glories  and 
delights  of  life. 

It  was  here,  too,  that  his  affliction  was  embittered  by 
the  reproach  of  his  mother,  Ayxa,  who  had  so  often 
assisted  him  in  times  of  peril,  and  had  vainly  sought 
to  instil  into  him  her  own  resolute  spirit.  "  You  do 
well,"  said  she,  "  to  weep  as  a  woman  over  what  you 
could  not  defend  as  a  man  " ;  a  speech  savoring  more 
of  the  pride  of  the  princess  than  the  tenderness  of  the 
mother. 

When  this  anecdote  was  related  to  Charles  V.,  by 
Bishop  Guevara,  the  emperor  joined  in  the  expression 
of  scorn  at  the  weakness  of  the  wavering  Boabdil. 
"  Had  I  been  he,  or  he  been  I,"  said  the  haughty  po 
tentate,  "  I  would  rather  have  made  this  Alhambra 
my  sepulchre  than  have  lived  without  a  kingdom  in  the 
Alpuxarra."  How  easy  it  is  for  those  in  power  and 
prosperity  to  preach  heroism  to  the  vanquished!  how 
little  can  they  understand  that  life  itself  may  rise 
in  value  with  the  unfortunate,  when  naught  but  life 
remains ! 

Slowly  descending  the  "  Hill  of  Tears,"  I  let  my 
horse  take  his  own  loitering  gait  back  to  Granada, 
while  I  turned  the  story  of  the  unfortunate  Boabdil 
over  in  my  mind.  In  summing  up  the  particulars,  I 
found  the  balance  inclining  in  his  favor.  Throughout 
the  whole  of  his  brief,  turbulent,  and  disastrous  reign, 
he  gives  evidence  of  a  mild  and  amiable  character.  He, 
in  the  first  instance,  won  the  hearts  of  his  people  by  his 
affable  and  gracious  manners;  he  was  always  pla 
cable,  and  never  inflicted  any  severity  of  punishment 
upon  those  who  occasionally  rebelled  against  him.  He 


PUBLIC  FETES  OF  GRANADA         129 

was  personally  brave;  but  wanted  moral  courage; 
and,  in  times  of  difficulty  and  perplexity,  was  waver 
ing  and  irresolute.  This  feebleness  of  spirit  hastened 
his  downfall,  while  it  deprived  him  of  that  heroic 
grace  which  would  have  given  grandeur  and  dignity 
to  his  fate,  and  rendered  him  worthy  of  closing  the 
splendid  drama  of  the  Moslem  domination  in  Spain. 


PUBLIC  FETES  OF  GRANADA 

MY  devoted  squire  and  whilom  ragged  cicerone  Mateo 
Ximenes  had  a  poor-devil  passion  for  fetes  and  holi 
days,  and  was  never  so  eloquent  as  when  detailing  the 
civil  and  religious  festivals  at  Granada.  During  the 
preparations  for  the  annual  Catholic  fete  of  Corpus 
Christi,  he  was  in  a  state  of  incessant  transition  be 
tween  the  Alhambra  and  the  subjacent  city,  bringing 
me  daily  accounts  of  the  magnificent  arrangements 
that  were  in  progress,  and  endeavoring,  but  in  vain, 
to  lure  me  down  from  my  cool  and  airy  retreat  to  wit 
ness  them.  At  length,  on  the  eve  of  the  eventful  day, 
I  yielded  to  his  solicitations  and  descended  from  the 
regal  halls  of  the  Alhambra  under  his  escort,  as  did 
of  yore  the  adventure-seeking  Haroun  Alraschid  under 
that  of  his  Grand  Vizier  Giaffar.  Though  it  was  yet 
scarce  sunset,  the  city  gates  were  already  thronged 
with  the  picturesque  villagers  of  the  mountains,  and 
the  brown  peasantry  of  the  Vega.  Granada  has  ever 
been  the  rallying-place  of  a  great  mountainous  region, 
studded  with  towns  and  villages.  Hither,  during  the 
Moorish  domination,  the  chivalry  of  this  region  re 
paired,  to  join  in  the  splendid  and  semi-warlike  fetes 
of  the  Vivarrambla,  and  hither  the  elite  of  its  popula 
tion  still  resort  to  join  in  the  pompous  ceremonials  of 

9 


i3o  THE  ALHAMBRA 

the  Church.  Indeed,  many  of  the  mountaineers  from 
the  Alpuxarras  and  the  Sierra  de  Ronda,  who  now  bow 
to  the  cross  as  zealous  Catholics,  bear  the  stamp  of 
their  Moorish  origin,  and  are  indubitable  descendants 
of  the  fickle  subjects  of  Boabdil. 

Under  the  guidance  of  Mateo,  I  made  my  way 
through  streets  already  teeming  with  a  holiday  popula 
tion,  to  the  square  of  the  Vivarrambla,  that  great  place 
for  tilts  and  tourneys  so  often  sung  in  the  Moorish 
ballads  of  love  and  chivalry.  A  gallery  or  arcade  of 
wood  had  been  erected  along  the  sides  of  the  square, 
for  the  grand  religious  procession  of  the  following 
day.  This  was  brilliantly  illuminated  for  the  evening 
as  a  promenade;  and  bands  of  music  were  stationed 
on  balconies  on  each  of  the  four  fagades  of  the  square. 
All  the  fashion  and  beauty  of  Granada,  all  of  its  popu 
lation  of  either  sex  that  had  good  looks  or  fine  clothes 
to  display,  thronged  this  arcade,  promenading  round 
and  round  the  Vivarrambla.  Here,  too,  were  the 
Majos  and  Majas,  the  rural  beaux  and  belles,  with  fine 
forms,  flashing  eyes,  and  gay  Andalusian  costumes; 
some  of  them  from  Ronda  itself,  that  stronghold  of 
the  mountains,  famous  for  contrabandistas,  bull 
fighters,  and  beautiful  women. 

While  this  gay  but  motley  throng  kept  up  a  constant 
circulation  in  the  gallery,  the  centre  of  the  square  was 
occupied  by  the  peasantry  from  the  surrounding  coun 
try  ;  who  made  no  pretensions  to  display,  but  came  for 
simple,  hearty  enjoyment.  The  whole  square  was 
covered  with  them ;  forming  separate  groups  of  fami 
lies  and  neighborhoods,  like  gypsy  encampments,  some 
were  listening  to  the  traditional  ballad  drawled  out 
to  the  tinkling  of  the  guitar;  some  were  engaged  in 
gay  conversation;  some  were  dancing  to  the  click  of 
the  castanet.  As  I  threaded  my  way  through  this 
teeming  region  with  Mateo  at  my  heels,  I  passed  occa 
sionally  some  rustic  party,  seated  on  the  ground,  mak- 


PUBLIC  FETES  OF  GRANADA         131 

ing  a  merry  though  frugal  repast.  If  they  caught  my 
eye  as  I  loitered  by,  they  almost  invariably  invited  me 
to  partake  of  their  simple  fare.  This  hospitable  usage, 
inherited  from  their  Moslem  invaders,  and  originating 
in  the  tent  of  the  Arab,  is  universal  throughout  the 
land,  and  observed  by  the  poorest  Spaniard. 

As  the  night  advanced,  the  gayety  gradually  died 
away  in  the  arcades ;  the  bands  of  music  ceased  to  play, 
and  the  brilliant  crowd  dispersed  to  their  homes.  The 
centre  of  the  square  still  remained  well  peopled,  and 
Mateo  assured  me  that  the  greater  part  of  the  peas 
antry,  men,  women,  and  children,  would  pass  the  night 
there,  sleeping  on  the  bare  earth  beneath  the  open 
canopy  of  heaven.  Indeed,  a  summer  night  requires 
no  shelter  in  this  favored  climate;  and  a  bed  is  a 
superfluity  which  many  of  the  hardy  peasantry  of 
Spain  never  enjoy,  and  which  some  of  them  affect  to 
despise.  The  common  Spaniard  wraps  himself  in  his 
brown  cloak,  stretches  himself  on  his  manta  or  mule- 
cloth,  and  sleeps  soundly,  luxuriously  accommodated 
if  he  can  have  a  saddle  for  a  pillow.  In  a  little  while 
the  words  of  Mateo  were  made  good;  the  peasant 
multitude  nestled  down  on  the  ground  to  their  night's 
repose,  and  by  midnight  the  scene  on  the  Vivarrambla 
resembled  the  bivouac  of  an  army. 

The  next  morning,  accompanied  by  Mateo,  I  re 
visited  the  square  at  sunrise.  It  was  still  strewed 
with  groups  of  sleepers :  some  were  reposing  from  the 
dance  and  revel  of  the  evening;  others,  who  had  left 
their  villages  after  work  on  the  preceding  day,  hav 
ing  trudged  on  foot  the  greater  part  of  the  night,  were 
taking  a  sound  sleep  to  freshen  themselves  for  the 
festivities  of  the  day.  Numbers  from  the  mountains, 
and  the  remote  villages  of  the  plain,  who  had  set  out 
in  the  night,  continued  to  arrive  with  their  wives  and 
children.  All  were  in  high  spirits;  greeting  each 
other  and  exchanging  jokes  and  pleasantries.  The  gay 


I32  THE  ALHAMBRA 

tumult  thickened  as  the  day  advanced.  Now  came 
pouring  in  at  the  city  gates,  and  parading  through  the 
streets,  the  deputations  from  the  various  villages,  des 
tined  to  swell  the  grand  procession.  These  village 
deputations  were  headed  by  their  priests,  bearing  their 
respective  crosses  and  banners,  and  images  of  the 
blessed  Virgin  and  of  patron  saints;  all  which  were 
matters  of  great  rivalship  and  jealousy  among  the 
peasantry.  It  was  like  the  chivalrous  gatherings  of 
ancient  days,  when  each  town  and  village  sent  its  chiefs, 
and  warriors,  and  standards,  to  defend  the  capital, 
or  grace  its  festivities. 

At  length  all  these  various  detachments  congregated 
into  one  grand  pageant,  which  slowly  paraded  round 
the  Vivarrambla,  and  through  the  principal  streets, 
where  every  window  and  balcony  was  hung  with  tapes 
try.  In  this  procession  were  all  the  religious  orders, 
the  civil  and  military  authorities,  and  the  chief  people 
of  the  parishes  and  villages :  every  church  and  con 
vent  had  contributed  its  banners,  its  images,  its  relicsv 
and  poured  forth  its  wealth  for  the  occasion.  In  the 
centre  of  the  procession  walked  the  archbishop,  under 
a  damask  canopy,  and  surrounded  by  inferior  digni 
taries  and  their  dependants.  The  whole  moved  to  the 
swell  and  cadence  of  numerous  bands  of  music,  and, 
passing  through  the  midst  of  a  countless  yet  silent 
multitude,  proceeded  onward  to  the  cathedral. 

I  could  not  but  be  struck  with  the  changes  of  times 
and  customs,  as  I  saw  this  monkish  pageant  passing 
through  the  Vivarrambla,  the  ancient  seat  of  Moslem 
pomp  and  chivalry.  The  contrast  was  indeed  forced 
upon  the  mind  by  the  decorations  of  the  square.  The 
whole  front  of  the  wooden  gallery  erected  for  the  pro 
cession,  extending  several  hundred  feet,  was  faced  with 
canvas,  on  which  some  humble  though  patriotic  artist 
had  painted,  by  contract,  a  series  of  the  principal 
scenes  and  exploits  of  the  Conquest,  as  recorded  in 


PUBLIC  FETES  OF  GRANADA         133 

chronicle  and  romance.  It  is  thus  the  romantic  legends 
of  Granada  mingle  themselves  with  everything,  and  are 
kept  fresh  in  the  public  mind. 

As  \ve  wended  our  way  back  to  the  Alhambra,  Mateo 
was  in  high  glee  and  garrulous  vein.  "  Ah,  Senor," 
exclaimed  he,  "  there  is  no  place  in  all  the  world  like 
Granada  for  grand  ceremonies  (funcioncs  grandes)  ; 
a  man  need  spend  nothing  on  pleasure  here,  it  is  all 
furnished  him  gratis."  Pero,  el  dia  de  la  Toma!  Ah, 
Senor !  el  dia  de  la  Toma !  "  But  the  day  of  the  Tak 
ing!  ah,  Senor  the  day  of  the  Taking!"  —  that  was 
the  great  day  which  crowned  Mateo's  notions  of  per 
fect  felicity.  The  Dia  de  la  Toma,  I  found,  was  the 
anniversary  of  the  capture  or  taking  possession  of 
Granada  by  the  army  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella. 

On  that  day,  according  to  Mateo,  the  whole  city  is 
abandoned  to  revelry.  The  great  alarm-bell  on  the 
watch-tower  of  the  Alhambra  (la  Torre  de  la  vela) 
sends  forth  its  clanging  peals  from  morn  till  night; 
the  sound  pervades  the  whole  Vega,  and  echoes  along 
the  mountains,  summoning  the  peasantry  from  far  and 
near  to  the  festivities  of  the  metropolis.  "  Happy  the 
damsel,"  says  Mateo,  "  who  can  get  a  chance  to  ring 
that  bell ;  it  is  a  charm  to  insure  a  husband  within  the 
year." 

Throughout  the  day  the  Alhambra  is  throwrn  open 
to  the  public.  Its  halls  and  courts,  where  the  Moorish 
monarchs  once  held  sway,  resound  with  the  guitar  and 
castanet,  and  gay  groups,  in  the  fanciful  dresses  of 
Andalusia,  perform  their  traditional  dances  inherited 
from  the  Moors. 

A  grand  procession,  emblematic  of  the  taking  pos 
session  of  the  city,  moves  through  the  principal  streets. 
The  banner  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  that  precious 
relic  of  the  Conquest,  is  brought  forth  from  its  de 
pository,  and  borne  in  triumph  by  the  Alferez  mayor, 
or  grand  standard-bearer.  The  portable  camp-altar, 


134  THE  ALHAMBRA 

carried  about  with  the  sovereigns  in  all  their  cam 
paigns,  is  transported  into  the  chapel  royal  of  the 
cathedral,  and  placed  before  their  sepulchre,  where  their 
effigies  lie  in  monumental  marble.  High  mass  is  then 
performed  in  memory  of  the  Conquest;  and  at  a  cer 
tain  part  of  the  ceremony  the  Alferez  mayor  puts  on 
his  hat,  and  waves  the  standard  above  the  tomb  of  the 
conquerors. 

A  more  whimsical  memorial  of  the  Conquest  is  ex 
hibited  in  the  evening  at  the  theatre.  A  popular  drama 
is  performed,  entitled  AVE  MARIA,  turning  on  a  fa 
mous  achievement  of  Hernando  del  Pulgar,  surnamed 
"el  de  las  Hazafias  "  (he  of  the  exploits),  a  madcap 
warrior,  the  favorite  hero  of  the  populace  of  Granada. 
During  the  time  of  the  siege,  the  young  Moorish  and 
Spanish  cavaliers  vied  with  each  other  in  extravagant 
bravadoes.  On  one  occasion  this  Hernando  del  Pul 
gar,  at  the  head  of  a  handful  of  followers,  made  a 
dash  into  Granada  in  the  dead  of  the  night,  nailed  the 
inscription  of  AVE  MARIA  with  his  dagger  to  the  gate 
of  the  principal  mosque,  a  token  of  having  consecrated 
it  to  the  Virgin,  and  effected  his  retreat  in  safety.1 

While  the  Moorish  cavaliers  admired  this  daring  ex 
ploit,  they  felt  bound  to  resent  it.  On  the  following 
day,  therefore,  Tarfe,  one  of  the  stoutest  among  them, 
paraded  in  front  of  the  Christian  army,  dragging  the 
tablet  bearing  the  sacred  inscription  AVE  MARIA,  at 
his  horse's  tail.  The  cause  of  the  Virgin  was  eagerly 
vindicated  by  Garcilaso  de  la  Vega,  who  slew  the  Moor 
in  single  combat,  and  elevated  the  tablet  in  devotion 
and  triumph  at  the  end  of  his  lance. 

The  drama  founded  on  this  exploit  is  prodigiously 
popular  with  the  common  people.  Although  it  has  been 
acted  time  out  of  mind,  it  never  fails  to  draw  crowds, 
who  become  completely  lost  in  the  delusions  of  the 

See  a  more  detailed  account  of  the  exploit  in  the  chronicle  of 
the  Conquest  of  Granada. 


PUBLIC  FETES  OF  GRANADA         135 

scene.  When  their  favorite  Pulgar  strides  about  with 
many  a  mouthy  speech,  in  the  very  midst  of  the  Moor 
ish  capital,  he  is  cheered  with  enthusiastic  bravos ;  and 
when  he  nails  the  tablet  to  the  door  of  the  mosque,  the 
theatre  absolutely  shakes  with  the  thunders  of  ap 
plause.  On  the  other  hand,  the  unlucky  actors  who 
figure  in  the  part  of  the  Moors,  have  to  bear  the  brunt 
of  popular  indignation ;  which  at  times  equals  that  of 
the  Hero  of  Lamanche,  at  the  puppet-show  of  Gines 
de  Passamonte;  for,  when  the  infidel  Tarfe  plucks 
down  the  tablet  to  tie  it  to  his  horse's  tail,  some  of  the 
audience  rise  in  fury,  and  are  ready  to  jump  upon  the 
stage  to  revenge  this  insult  to  the  Virgin. 

By  the  way,  the  actual  lineal  descendant  of  Her- 
nando  del  Pulgar  was  the  Marquis  de  Salar.  As  the 
legitimate  representative  of  that  madcap  hero,  and  in 
commemoration  and  reward  of  this  hero's  exploit 
above  mentioned,  he  inherited  the  right  to  enter  the 
cathedral  on  certain  occasions,  on  horseback ;  to  sit 
within  the  choir,  and  to  put  on  his  hat  at  the  elevation 
of  the  host,  though  these  privileges  were  often  and 
obstinately  contested  by  the  clergy.  I  met  him  occa 
sionally  in  society;  he  was  young,  of  agreeable  ap 
pearance  and  manners,  with  bright  black  eyes,  in  which 
appeared  to  lurk  some  of  the  fire  of  his  ancestors. 
Among  the  paintings  in  the  Vivarrambla,  on  the  fete 
of  Corpus  Christi,  were  some  depicting,  in  vivid  style, 
the  exploits  of  the  family  hero.  An  old  gray-headed 
servant  of  the  Pulgars  shed  tears  on  beholding  them, 
and  hurried  home  to  inform  the  marquis.  The  eager 
zeal  and  enthusiasm  of  the  old  domestic  only  provoked 
a  light  laugh  from  his  young  master ;  whereupon,  turn 
ing  to  the  brother  of  the  marquis,  with  that  freedom 
allowed  in  Spain  to  old  family  servants,  "  Come, 
Seiior,"  cried  he,  "  you  are  more  considerate  than 
your  brother;  come  and  see  your  ancestor  in  all  his 
glory!" 


136  THE  ALHAMBRA 

In  emulation  of  this  great  Dia  de  la  Toma  of  Gra 
nada,  almost  every  village  and  petty  town  of  the 
mountains  has  its  own  anniversary,  commemorating, 
with  rustic  pomp  and  uncouth  ceremonial,  its  deliver 
ance  from  the  Moorish  yoke.  On  these  occasions,  ac 
cording  to  Mateo,  a  kind  of  resurrection  takes  place  of 
ancient  armor  and  weapons ;  great  two-handed  swords, 
ponderous  arquebuses  with  matchlocks,  and  other  war 
like  relics,  treasured  up  from  generation  to  generation, 
since  the  time  of  the  Conquest;  and  happy  the  com 
munity  that  possesses  some  old  piece  of  ordnance,  per- 
adventure  one  of  the  identical  lombards  used  by  the 
conquerors ;  it  is  kept  thundering  along  the  mountains 
all  day  long,  provided  the  community  can  afford  suffi 
cient  expenditure  of  powder. 

In  the  course  of  the  day  a  kind  of  warlike  drama  is 
enacted.  Some  of  the  populace  parade  the  streets, 
fitted  out  with  the  old  armor,  as  champions  of  the 
faith.  Others  appear  dressed  up  as  Moorish  war 
riors.  A  tent  is  pitched  in  the  public  square,  inclosing 
an  altar  with  an  image  of  the  Virgin.  The  Christian 
warriors  approach  to  perform  their  devotions;  the 
infidels  surround  the  tent  to  prevent  their  entrance;  a 
mock  fight  ensues ;  the  combatants  sometimes  forget 
that  they  are  merely  playing  a  part,  and  dry  blows  of 
grievous  weight  are  apt  to  be  exchanged.  The  contest, 
however,  invariably  terminates  in  favor  of  the  good 
cause.  The  Moors  are  defeated  and  taken  prisoners. 
The  image  of  the  Virgin,  rescued  from  thraldom,  is 
elevated  in  triumph;  a  grand  procession  succeeds,  in 
which  the  conquerors  figure  with  great  applause  and 
vainglory;  while  their  captives  are  led  in  chains,  to 
the  evident  delight  and  edification  of  the  spectators. 

These  celebrations  are  heavy  drains  on  the  treasuries 
of  these  petty  communities,  and  have  sometimes  to  be 
suspended  for  want  of  funds;  but,  when  times  grow 
better,  or  sufficient  money  has  been  hoarded  for  the 


LOCAL  TRADITIONS  137 

purpose,    they    are    resumed     with    new    zeal     and 
prodigality. 

Mateo  informed  me  that  he  had  occasionally  assisted 
at  these  fetes  and  taken  a  part  in  the  combats ;  but  al 
ways  on  the  side  of  the  true  faith ;  porque  Scnor, 
added  the  ragged  descendant  of  the  Cardinal  Ximenes, 
tapping  his  breast  with  something  of  an  air,  —  "  por 
que  Seiior,  soy  Christiana  viejo." 


LOCAL  TRADITIONS 

THE  common  people  of  Spain  have  an  Oriental  passion 
for  story-telling,  and  are  fond  of  the  marvellous. 
They  will  gather  round  the  doors  of  their  cottages  in 
summer  evenings,  or  in  the  great  cavernous  chimney- 
corners  of  the  ventas  in  the  winter,  and  listen  with  in 
satiable  delight  to  miraculous  legends  of  saints,  peril 
ous  adventures  of  travellers,  and  daring  exploits  of 
robbers  and  contrabandistas.  The  wild  and  solitary 
character  of  the  country,  the  imperfect  diffusion  of 
knowledge,  the  scarceness  of  general  topics  of  conver 
sation,  and  the  romantic  adventurous  life  that  every 
one  leads  in  a  land  where  travelling  is  yet  in  its  primi 
tive  state,  all  contribute  to  cherish  this  love  of  oral 
narration,  and  to  produce  a  strong  infusion  of  the  ex 
travagant  and  incredible.  There  is  no  theme,  however, 
more  prevalent  and  popular  than  that  of  treasures 
buried  by  the  Moors ;  it  pervades  the  whole  country. 
In  traversing  the  wild  sierras,  the  scenes  of  ancient 
foray  and  exploit,  you  cannot  see  a  Moorish  atalaya, 
or  watch-tower,  perched  among  the  cliffs,  or  beetling 
above  its  rock-built  village,  but  your  muleteer,  on  being 
closely  questioned,  will  suspend  the  smoking  of  his 
cigarillo  to  tell  some  tale  of  Moslem  gold  buried  be 
neath  its  foundations;  nor  is  there  a  ruined  alcazar 


138  THE  ALHAMBRA 

in  a  city  but  has  its  golden  tradition,  handed  down 
from  generation  to  generation  among  the  poor  people 
of  the  neighborhood. 

These,  like  most  popular  fictions,  have  sprung  from 
some  scanty  groundwork  of  fact.  During  the  wars 
between  Moor  and  Christian,  which  distracted  this 
country  for  centuries,  towns  and  castles  were  liable 
frequently  and  suddenly  to  change  owners,  and  the  in 
habitants,  during  sieges  and  assaults,  were  fain  to  bury 
their  money  and  jewels  in  the  earth,  or  hide  them  in 
vaults  and  wells,  as  is  often  done  at  the  present  day 
in  the  despotic  and  belligerent  countries  of  the  East. 
At  the  time  of  the  expulsion  of  the  Moors,  also,  many 
of  them  concealed  their  most  precious  effects,  hoping 
that  their  exile  would  be  but  temporary,  and  that  they 
would  be  enabled  to  return  and  retrieve  their  treasures 
at  some  future  day.  It  is  certain  that  from  time  to 
time  hoards  of  gold  and  silver  coin  have  been  accident 
ally  digged  up,  after  a  lapse  of  centuries,  from  among 
the  ruins  of  Moorish  fortresses  and  habitations ;  and  it 
requires  but  a  few  facts  of  the  kind  to  give  birth  to  a 
thousand  fictions. 

The  stories  thus  originating  have  generally  some 
thing  of  an  Oriental  tinge,  and  are  marked  with  that 
mixture  of  the  Arabic  and  the  Gothic  which  seems  to 
me  to  characterize  everything  in  Spain,  and  especially 
in  its  southern  provinces.  The  hidden  wealth  is  always 
laid  under  magic  spell,  and  secured  by  charm  and  talis 
man.  Sometimes  it  is  guarded  by  uncouth  monsters 
or  fiery  dragons,  sometimes  by  enchanted  Moors,  who 
sit  by  it  in  armor,  \vith  drawn  swords,  but  motionless 
as  statues,  maintaining  a  sleepless  watch  for  ages. 

The  Alhambra  of  course,  from  the  peculiar  circum 
stances  of  its  history,  is  a  stronghold  for  popular  fic 
tions  of  the  kind;  and  various  relics,  digged  up  from 
time  to  time,  have  contributed  to  strengthen  them.  At 
one  time  an  earthen  vessel  was  found  containing  Moor- 


THE  HOUSE  OF  THE  WEATHERCOCK  139 

ish  coins  and  the  skeleton  of  a  cock,  which,  according 
to  the  opinion  of  certain  shrewd  inspectors,  must  have 
been  buried  alive.  At  another  time  a  vessel  was  dug 
up  containing  a  great  scarabaeus  or  beetle  of  baked 
clay,  covered  with  Arabic  inscriptions,  which  was  pro 
nounced  a  prodigious  amulet  of  occult  virtues.  In  this 
way  the  wits  of  the  ragged  brood  who  inhabit  the  Al- 
hambra  have  been  set  wool-gathering,  until  there  is 
not  a  hall,  nor  tower,  nor  vault,  of  the  old  fortress,  that 
has  not  been  made  the  scene  of  some  marvellous  tradi 
tion.  Having,  I  trust,  in  the  preceding  papers  made 
the  reader  in  some  degree  familiar  with  the  localities 
of  the  Alhambra,  I  shall  now  launch  out  more  largely 
into  the  wonderful  legends  connected  with  it,  and 
which  I  have  diligently  wrought  into  shape  and  form, 
from  various  legendary  scraps  and  hints  picked  up  in 
the  course  of  my  perambulations,  —  in  the  same  man 
ner  that  an  antiquary  works  out  a  regular  historical 
document  from  a  few  scattered  letters  of  an  almost 
defaced  inscription. 

If  anything  in  these  legends  should  shock  the  faith 
of  the  over-scrupulous  reader,  he  must  remember  the 
nature  of  the  place,  and  make  due  allowances.  He 
must  not  expect  here  the  same  laws  of  probability  that 
govern  commonplace  scenes  and  every-day  life;  he 
must  remember  that  he  treads  the  halls  of  an  enchanted 
palace  and  that  all  is  "  haunted  ground." 


THE   HOUSE  OF  THE  WEATHERCOCK 

ON  the  brow  of  the  lofty  hill  of  the  Albaycin,  the  high 
est  part  of  Granada,  and  which  rises  from  the  narrow 
valley  of  the  Darro,  directly  opposite  to  the  Alhambra, 
stands  all  that  is  left  of  what  was  once  a  royal  palace  of 
the  Moors.  It  has,  in  fact,  fallen  into  such  obscurity, 


140  THE  ALHAMBRA 

that  it  cost  me  much  trouble  to  find  it,  though  aided 
in  my  researches  by  the  sagacious  and  all-knowing 
Mateo  Ximenes.  This  edifice  has  borne  for  centuries 
the  name  of  "  The  House  of  the  Weathercock  "  (La 
casa  del  Gallo  de  Viento),  from  a  bronze  figure  on  one 
of  its  turrets,  in  ancient  times,  of  a  warrior  on  horse 
back,  and  turning  with  every  breeze.  This  weather 
cock  was  considered  by  the  Moslems  of  Granada  a 
portentous  talisman.  According  to  some  traditions, 
it  bore  the  following  Arabic  inscription : 

Calet  el  Bedici  Aben  Habuz, 
Quidat  ehahet  Lindabuz. 

Which  has  been  rendered  into  Spanish : 

Dice  el  sabio  Aben  Habuz, 
Que  asi  se  defiende  el  Anduluz. 

And  into  English : 

In  this  way,  says  Aben  Habuz  the  Wise, 
Andaluz  guards  against  surprise. 

This  Aben  Habuz,  according  to  some  of  the  old 
Moorish  chronicles,  was  a  captain  in  the  invading  army 
of  Taric,  one  of  the  conquerors  of  Spain,  who  left  him 
as  Alcayde  of  Granada.  He  is  supposed  to  have  in 
tended  this  effigy  as  a  perpetual  warning  to  the  Mos 
lems  of  Andaluz,  that,  surrounded  by  foes,  their  safety 
depended  upon  their  being  always  on  their  guard  and 
ready  for  the  field. 

Others,  among  whom  is  the  Christian  historian 
Marmol,  affirms  "  Badis  Aben  Habus  "  to  have  been  a 
Moorish  sultan  of  Granada,  and  that  the  weathercock 
was  intended  as  a  perpetual  admonition  of  the  insta 
bility  of  Moslem  power,  bearing  the  following  words 
in  Arabic: 

'  Thus  Ibn  Habus  al  badise  predicts  Andalus  shall 
one  day  vanish  and  pass  away."  1 

1  Marmol,  Hist.  Rebellion  of  the  Moors. 


THE  HOUSE  OF  THE  WEATHERCOCK  141 

Another  version  of  this  portentous  inscription  is 
given  by  a  Moslem  historian,  on  the  authority  of  Sidi 
Hasan,  a  faquir  who  flourished  about  the  time  of  Ferdi 
nand  and  Isabella,  and  who  was  present  at  the  taking 
down  of  the  weathercock,  when  the  old  Kassaba  was 
undergoing  repairs. 

"  I  saw  it,"  says  the  venerable  faquir,  "  with  my 
own  eyes ;  it  was  of  a  heptagonal  shape,  and  had  the 
following  inscription  in  verse : 

'  The  palace  at  fair  Granada  presents  a  talisman." 

'  The  horseman,  though  a  solid  body,  turns  with 
every  wind." 

'  This  to  a  wise  man  reveals  a  mystery.  In  a  little 
while  comes  a  calamity  to  ruin  both  the  palace  and  its 
owner." 

In  effect  it  was  not  long  after  this  meddling  with 
the  portentous  weathercock  that  the  following  event 
occurred.  As  old  Muley  Abul  Hassan,  the  king  of 
Granada,  was  seated  under  a  sumptuous  pavilion,  re 
viewing  his  troops,  who  paraded  before  him  in  armor 
of  polished  steel  and  gorgeous  silken  robes,  mounted 
on  fleet  steeds,  and  equipped  with  swords,  spears,  and 
shields  embossed  with  gold  and  silver,  —  suddenly  a 
tempest  was  seen  hurrying  from  the  southwest.  In 
a  little  while  black  clouds  overshadowed  the  heavens 
and  burst  forth  with  a  deluge  of  rain.  Torrents  came 
roaring  down  from  the  mountains,  bringing  with  them 
rocks  and  trees ;  the  Darro  overflowed  its  banks ;  mills 
were  swept  away,  bridges  destroyed,  gardens  laid 
waste;  the  inundation  rushed  into  the  city,  undermin 
ing  houses,  drowning  their  inhabitants,  and  overflow 
ing  even  the  square  of  the  Great  Mosque.  The  people 
rushed  in  affright  to  the  mosques  to  implore  the  mercy 
of  Allah,  regarding  this  uproar  of  the  elements  as  the 
harbinger  of  dreadful  calamities;  and,  indeed,  accord 
ing  to  the  Arabian  historian  Al  Makkari,  it  was 
but  a  type  and  prelude  of  the  direful  war  which 


142  THE  ALHAMBRA 

ended  in  the  downfall  of  the  Moslem  kingdom  of 
Granada. 

I  have  thus  given  historic  authorities  sufficient  to 
show  the  portentous  mysteries  connected  with  the  House 
of  the  Weathercock,  and  its  talismanic  horseman. 

I  now  proceed  to  relate  still  more  surprising  things 
about  Aben  Habuz  and  his  palace;  for  the  truth  of 
which,  should  any  doubt  be  entertained,  I  refer  the 
dubious  reader  to  Mateo  Ximenes  and  his  fellow- 
historiographers  of  the  Alhambra. 


LEGEND   OF  THE  ARABIAN 
ASTROLOGER 

IN  old  times,  many  hundred  years  ago,  there  was  a 
Moorish  king  named  Aben  Habuz,  who  reigned  over 
the  kingdom  of  Granada.  He  was  a  retired  conqueror, 
that  is  to  say,  one  who,  having  in  his  more  youthful 
days  led  a  life  of  constant  foray  and  depredation,  now 
that  he  was  grown  feeble  and  superannuated,  "  lan 
guished  for  repose,"  and  desired  nothing  more  than  to 
live  at  peace  with  all  the  world,  to  husband  his  laurels, 
and  to  enjoy  in  quiet  the  possessions  he  had  wrested 
from  his  neighbors. 

It  so  happened,  however,  that  this  most  reasonable 
and  pacific  old  monarch  had  young  rivals  to  deal  with ; 
princes  full  of  his  early  passion  for  fame  and  fighting, 
and  who  were  disposed  to  call  him  to  account  for  the 
scores  he  had  run  up  with  their  fathers.  Certain  dis 
tant  districts  of  his  own  territories,  also,  which  during 
the  days  of  his  vigor  he  had  treated  with  a  high  hand, 
were  prone,  now  that  he  languished  for  repose,  to  rise 
in  rebellion  and  threaten  to  invest  him  in  his  capital. 


LEGEND  OF  ARABIAN  ASTROLOGER      143 

Thus  he  had  foes  on  every  side;  and  as  Granada  is 
surrounded  by  wild  and  craggy  mountains,  which  hide 
the  approach  of  an  enemy,  the  unfortunate  Aben 
Habuz  was  kept  in  a  constant  state  of  vigilance  and 
alarm,  not  knowing  in  what  quarter  hostilities  might 
break  out. 

It  was  in  vain  that  he  built  watch-towers  on  the 
mountains,  and  stationed  guards  at  every  pass  with 
orders  to  make  fires  by  night  and  smoke  by  day,  on  the 
approach  of  an  enemy.  His  alert  foes,  baffling  every 
precaution,  would  break  out  of  some  unthought-of  de 
file,  ravage  his  lands  beneath  his  very  nose,  and  then 
make  off  with  prisoners  and  booty  to  the  mountains. 
Was  ever  peaceable  and  retired  conqueror  in  a  more 
uncomfortable  predicament? 

While  Aben  Habuz  was  harassed  by  these  perplexi 
ties  and  molestations,  an  ancient  Arabian  physician 
arrived  at  his  court.  His  gray  beard  descended  to  his 
girdle,  and  he  had  every  mark  of -extreme  age,  yet  he 
had  travelled  almost  the  whole  way  from  Egypt  on 
foot,  with  no  other  aid  than  a  staff,  marked  with 
hieroglyphics.  His  fame  had  preceded  him.  His 
name  was  Ibrahim  Ebn  Abu  Ayub;  he  was  said  to 
have  lived  ever  since  the  days  of  Mahomet,  and  to  be 
son  of  Abu  Ayub ;  the  last  of  the  companions  of  the 
Prophet.  He  had,  when  a  child,  followed  the  conquer 
ing  army  of  Amru  into  Egypt,  where  he  had  remained 
many  years  studying  the  dark  sciences,  and  particularly 
magic,  among  the  Egyptian  priests. 

It  was,  moreover,  said  that  he  had  found  out  the 
secret  of  prolonging  life,  by  means  of  which  he  had  ar 
rived  to  the  great  age  of  upwards  of  two  centuries, 
though,  as  he  did  not  discover  the  secret  until  well 
stricken  in  years,  he  could  only  perpetuate  his  gray 
hairs  and  wrinkles. 

This  wonderful  old  man  was  honorably  entertained 
by  the  king;  who,  like  most  superannuated  monarchs, 


144  THE  ALHAMBRA 

began  to  take  physicians  into  great  favor.  He  would 
have  assigned  him  an  apartment  in  his  palace,  but  the 
astrologer  preferred  a  cave  in  the  side  of  the  hill 
which  rises  above  the  city  of  Granada,  being  the  same 
on  which  the  Alhambra  has  since  been  built.  He 
caused  the  cave  to  be  enlarged  so  as  to  form  a  spacious 
and  lofty  hall,  with  a  circular  hole  at  the  top,  through 
which,  as  through  a  well,  he  could  see  the  heavens  and 
behold  the  stars  even  at  mid-day.  The  walls  of  this 
hall  were  covered  with  Egyptian  hieroglyphics  with 
cabalistic  symbols,  and  with  the  figures  of  the  stars  in 
their  signs.  This  hall  he  furnished  with  many  im 
plements,  fabricated  under  his  directions  by  cunning 
artificers  of  Granada,  but  the  occult  properties  of 
which  were  known  only  to  himself. 

In  a  little  while  the  sage  Ibrahim  became  the  bosom 
counsellor  of  the  king,  who  applied  to  him  for  advice 
in  every  emergency.  Aben  Habuz  was  once  inveigh 
ing  against  the  injustice  of  his  neighbors,  and  bewail 
ing  the  restless  vigilance  he  had  to  observe  to  guard 
himself  against  their  invasions;  when  he  had  finished, 
the  astrologer  remained  silent  for  a  moment,  and  then 
replied,  "  Know,  O  king,  that,  when  I  was  in  Egypt,  I 
beheld  a  great  marvel  devised  by  a  pagan  priestess  of 
old.  On  a  mountain,  above  the  city  of  Borsa  and  over 
looking  the  great  valley  of  the  Nile,  was  a  figure  of  a 
ram,  and  above  it  a  figure  of  a  cock,  both  of  molten 
brass,  and  turning  upon  a  pivot.  Whenever  the  coun 
try  was  threatened  with  invasion,  the  ram  would  turn 
in  the  direction  of  the  enemy,  and  the  cock  would  crow ; 
upon  this  the  inhabitants  of  the  city  knew  of  the  dan 
ger,  and  of  the  quarter  from  which  it  was  approaching, 
and  could  take  timely  means  to  guard  against  it." 

"  God  is  great !  "  exclaimed  the  pacific  Aben  Habuz, 
"  what  a  treasure  would  be  such  a  ram  to  keep  an  eye 
upon  these  mountains  around  me;  and  then  such  a 
cock,  to  crow  in  time  of  danger!  Allah  Akbar!  how 


LEGEND  OF  ARABIAN  ASTROLOGER      145 

securely  I  might  sleep  in  my  palace  with  such  sentinels 
on  the  top !  " 

The  astrologer  waited  until  the  ecstasies  of  the  king 
had  subsided,  and  then  proceeded. 

"  After  the  victorious  Amru  (may  he  rest  in  peace!) 
had  finished  his  conquest  of  Egypt,  I  remained  among 
the  priests  of  the  land,  studying  the  rites  and  cere 
monies  of  their  idolatrous  faith,  and  seeking  to  make 
myself  master  of  the  hidden  knowledge  for  which 
they  are  renowned.  I  was  one  day  seated  on  the  banks 
of  the  Nile,  conversing  with  an  ancient  priest,  when 
he  pointed  to  the  mighty  pyramids  which  rose  like 
mountains  out  of  the  neighboring  desert.  '  All  that  we 
can  teach  thee,'  said  he,  '  is  nothing  to  the  knowledge 
locked  up  in  those  mighty  piles.  In  the  centre  of  the 
central  pyramid  is  a  sepulchral  chamber,  in  which  is  en 
closed  the  mummy  of  the  high-priest  who  aided  in  rear 
ing  that  stupendous  pile ;  and  with  him  is  buried  a  won 
drous  book  of  knowledge,  containing  all  the  secrets  of 
magic  and  art.  This  book  was  given  to  Adam  after  his 
fall,  and  was  handed  down  from  generation  to  genera 
tion  to  King  Solomon  the  Wise,  and  by  its  aid  he  built 
the  Temple  of  Jerusalem.  How  it  came  into  the.  posses 
sion  of  the  builder  of  the  pyramids  is  known  to  Him 
alone  who  knows  all  things.' 

"  When  I  heard  these  words  of  the  Egyptian  priest, 
my  heart  burned  to  get  possession  of  that  book.  I 
could  command  the  services  of  many  of  the  soldiers 
of  our  conquering  army,  and  of  a  number  of  the  native 
Egyptians :  with  these  I  set  to  work,  and  pierced  the 
solid  mass  of  the  pyramid,  until,  after  great  toil,  I 
came  upon  one  of  its  interior  and  hidden  passages. 
Following  this  up,  and  threading  a  fearful  labyrinth, 
I  penetrated  into  the  very  heart  of  the  pyramids,  even 
to  the  sepulchral  chamber,  where  the  mummy  of  the 
high-priest  had  lain  for  ages.  I  broke  through  the 
outer  cases  of  the  mummy,  unfolded  its  many  wrappers 

10 


146  THE  ALHAMBRA 

and  bandages,  and  at  length  found  the  precious  volume 
on  its  bosom.  I  seized  it  with  a  trembling  hand,  and 
groped  my  way  out  of  the  pyramid,  leaving  the 
mummy  in  its  dark  and  silent  sepulchre,  there  to  await 
the  final  day  of  resurrection  and  judgment." 

"  Son  of  Abu  Ayub,"  exclaimed  Aben  Habuz,  "  thou 
hast  been  a  great  traveller,  and  seen  marvellous  things ; 
but  of  what  avail  to  me  is  the  secret  of  the  pyramid, 
and  the  volume  of  knowledge  of  the  wise  Solomon?  " 

"  This  it  is,  O  king!  By  the  study  of  that  book  I 
am  instructed  in  all  magic  arts,  and  can  command  the 
assistance  of  genii  to  accomplish  my  plans.  The  mys 
tery  of  the  Talisman  of  Borsa  is  therefore  familiar  to 
me,  and  such  a  talisman  can  I  make,  nay,  one  of  greater 
virtues." 

"  O  wise  son  of  Abu  Ayub,"  cried  Aben  Habuz, 
"  better  were  such  a  talisman  than  all  the  watch-towers 
on  the  hills,  and  sentinels  upon  the  borders.  Give  me 
such  a  safeguard,  and  the  riches  of  my  treasury  are 
at  thy  command." 

The  astrologer  immediately  set  to  work  to  gratify 
the  wishes  of  the  monarch.  He  caused  a  great  tower 
to  be  erected  upon  the  top  of  the  royal  palace,  which 
stood  on  the  brow  of  the  hill  of  the  Albaycin.  The 
tower  was  built  of  stones  brought  from  Egypt,  and 
taken,  it  is  said,  from  one  of  the  pyramids.  In  the 
upper  part  of  the  tower  was  a  circular  hall,  with 
windows  looking  towards  every  point  of  the  compass, 
and  before  each  window  was  a  table,  on  which  was 
arranged,  as  on  a  chess-board,  a  mimic  army  of  horse 
and  foot,  with  the  effigy  of  the  potentate  that  ruled 
in  that  direction,  all  carved  of  wood.  To  each  of  these 
tables  there  was  a  small  lance,  no  bigger  than  a  bod 
kin,  on  which  were  engraved  certain  Chaldaic  char 
acters.  This  hall  was  kept  constantly  closed,  by  a  gate 
of  brass,  with  a  great  lock  of  steel,  the  key  of  which 
was  in  possession  of  the  king. 


LEGEND  OF  ARABIAN  ASTROLOGER     147 

On  the  top  of  the  tower  was  a  bronze  figure  of  a 
Moorish  horseman,  fixed  on  a  pivot,  with  a  shield  on 
one  arm,  and  his  lance  elevated  perpendicularly.  The 
face  of  this  horseman  was  towards  the  city,  as  if 
keeping  guard  over  it;  but  if  any  foe  were  at  hand, 
the  figure  would  turn  in  that  direction,  and  would  level 
the  lance  as  if  for  action. 

When  this  talisman  was  finished,  Aben  Habuz  was 
all  impatient  to  try  its  virtues,  and  longed  as  ardently 
for  an  invasion  as  he  had  ever  sighed  after  repose. 
His  desire  was  soon  gratified.  Tidings  were  brought, 
early  one  morning,  by  the  sentinel  appointed  to  watch 
the  tower,  that  the  face  of  the  bronze  horseman  was 
turned  towards  the  mountains  of  Elvira,  and  that  his 
lance  pointed  directly  against  the  Pass  of  Lope. 

"  Let  the  drums  and  trumpets  sound  to  arms,  and  all 
Granada  be  put  on  the  alert,"  said  Aben  Habuz. 

"  O  king,"  said  the  astrologer,  "  let  not  your  city 
be  disquieted,  nor  your  warriors  called  to  arms;  we 
need  no  aid  of  force  to  deliver  you  from  your  enemies. 
Dismiss  your  attendants,  and  let  us  proceed  alone  to 
the  secret  hall  of  the  tower." 

The  ancient  Aben  Habuz  mounted  the  staircase  of 
the  tower,  leaning  on  the  arm  of  the  still  more  ancient 
Ibrahim  Ebn  Abu  Ayub.  They  unlocked  the  brazen 
door  and  entered.  The  window  that  looked  towards 
the  Pass  of  Lope  was  open.  "  In  this  direction,"  said 
the  astrologer,  "  lies  the  danger ;  approach,  O  king, 
and  behold  the  mystery  of  the  table." 

King  Aben  Habuz  approached  the  seeming  chess 
board,  on  which  were  arranged  the  small  wooden 
effigies,  when,  to  his  surprise,  he  perceived  that  they 
were  all  in  motion.  The  horses  pranced  and  curveted, 
the  warriors  brandished  their  weapons,  and  there  was 
a  faint  sound  of  drums  and  trumpets,  and  the  clang 
of  arms,  and  neighing  of  steeds;  but  all  no  louder, 
nor  more  distinct,  than  the  hum  of  the  bee,  or  the 


148  THE  ALHAMBRA 

summer-fly,  in  the  drowsy  ear  of  him  who  lies  at  noon 
tide  in  the  shade. 

"  Behold,  O  king,"  said  the  astrologer,  "  a  proof 
that  thy  enemies  are  even  now  in  the  field.  They  must 
be  advancing  through  yonder  mountains,  by  the  Pass 
of  Lope.  Would  you  produce  a  panic  and  confusion 
amongst  them,  and  cause  them  to  retreat  without  loss 
of  life,  strike  these  effigies  with  the  but-end  of  this 
magic  lance;  would  you  cause  bloody  feud  and  car 
nage,  strike  with  the  point." 

A  livid  streak  passed  across  the  countenance  of 
Aben  Habuz;  he  seized  the  lance  with  trembling 
eagerness;  his  gray  beard  wagged  with  exultation  as 
he  tottered  toward  the  table :  "  Son  of  Abu  Ayub," 
exclaimed  he,  in  chuckling  tone,  "  I  think  wre  will  have 
a  little  blood!" 

So  saying,  he  thrust  the  magic  lance  into  some  of  the 
pigmy  effigies,  and  belabored  others  with  the  but-end, 
upon  which  the  former  fell  as  dead  upon  the  board, 
and  the  rest  turning  upon  each  other,  began,  pell-mell, 
a  chance-medley  fight. 

It  was  with  difficulty  the  astrologer  could  stay  the 
hand  of  the  most  pacific  of  monarchs,  and  prevent  him 
from  absolutely  exterminating  his  foes;  at  length  he 
prevailed  upon  him  to  leave  the  tower,  and  to  send  out 
scouts  to  the  mountains  by  the  Pass  of  Lope. 

They  returned  with  the  intelligence  that  a  Christian 
army  had  advanced  through  the  heart  of  the  Sierra, 
almost  within  sight  of  Granada,  where  a  dissension 
had  broken  out  among  them;  they  had  turned  their 
weapons  against  each  other,  and  after  much  slaughter 
had  retreated  over  the  border. 

Aben  Habuz  was  transported  with  joy  on  thus  prov 
ing  the  efficacy  of  the  talisman.  "  At  length,"  said  he, 
"  I  shall  lead  a  life  of  tranquillity,  and  have  all  my 
enemies  in  my  power.  O  wise  son  of  Abu  Ayub,  what 
can  I  bestow  on  thee  in  reward  for  such  a  blessing?  " 


LEGEND  OF  ARABIAN  ASTROLOGER      149 

"  The  wants  of  an  old  man  and  a  philosopher,  O 
king,  are  few  and  simple;  grant  me  but  the  means  of 
fitting  up  my  cave  as  a  suitable  hermitage,  and  I  am 
content." 

"  How  noble  is  the  moderation  of  the  truly  wise!  " 
exclaimed  Aben  Habuz,  secretly  pleased  at  the  cheap 
ness  of  the  recompense.  He  summoned  his  treasurer, 
and  bade  him  dispense  whatever  sums  might  be  re 
quired  by  Ibrahim  to  complete  and  furnish  his 
hermitage. 

The  astrologer  now  gave  orders  to  have  various 
chambers  hewn  out  of  the  solid  rock,  so  as  to  form 
ranges  of  apartments  connected  with  his  astrological 
hall ;  these  he  caused  to  be  furnished  with  luxurious 
ottomans  and  divans,  and  the  walls  to  be  hung  with 
the  richest  silks  of  Damascus.  "  I  am  an  old  man,"  said 
he,  "  and  can  no  longer  rest  my  bones  on  stone  couches, 
and  these  damp  walls  require  covering." 

He  had  baths  too  constructed,  and  provided  with  all 
kinds  of  perfumes  and  aromatic  oils.  "  For  a  bath," 
said  he,  "  is  necessary  to  counteract  the  rigidity  of  age, 
and  to  restore  freshness  and  suppleness  to  the  frame 
withered  by  study." 

He  caused  the  apartments  to  be  hung  with  innumer 
able  silver  and  crystal  lamps,  which  he  filled  with  a 
fragrant  oil  prepared  according  to  a  receipt  discovered 
by  him  in  the  tombs  of  Egypt.  This  oil  was  perpetual 
in  its  nature,  and  diffused  a  soft  radiance  like  the  tem 
pered  light  of  day.  "  The  light  of  the  sun,"  said  he,  "  is 
too  garish  and  violent  for  the  eyes  of  an  old  man,  and 
the  light  of  the  lamp  is  more  congenial  to  the  studies 
of  a  philosopher." 

The  treasurer  of  King  Aben  Habuz  groaned  at  the 
sums  daily  demanded  to  fit  up  this  hermitage,  and  he 
carried  his  complaints  to  the  king.  The  royal  word, 
however,  had  been  given;  Aben  Habuz  shrugged  his 
shoulders:  "  We  must  have  patience,"  said  he;  "  this 


150  THE  ALHAMBRA 

old  man  has  taken  his  idea  of  a  philosophic  retreat  from 
the  interior  of  the  pyramids,  and  of  the  vast  ruins  of 
Egypt;  but  all  things  have  an  end,  and  so  will  the 
furnishing  of  his  cavern." 

The  king  was  in  the  right;  the  hermitage  was  at 
length  complete,  and  formed  a  sumptuous  subterranean 
palace.  The  astrologer  expressed  himself  perfectly 
content,  and,  shutting  himself  up,  remained  for  three 
whole  days  buried  in  study.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he 
appeared  again  before  the  treasurer.  "  One  thing  more 
is  necessary,"  said  he,  "  one  trifling  solace  for  the  in 
tervals  of  mental  labor." 

"  O  wise  Ibrahim,  I  am  bound  to  furnish  everything 
necessary  for  thy  solitude;  what  more  dost  thou 
require  ?  " 

"  I  would  fain  have  a  few  dancing-women." 

"Dancing-women!"  echoed  the  treasurer,  with 
surprise. 

"  Dancing-women,"  replied  the  sage,  gravely ;  "  and 
let  them  be  young  and  fair  to  look  upon ;  for  the  sight 
of  youth  and  beauty  is  refreshing.  A  few  will  suffice, 
for  I  am  a  philosopher  of  simple  habits  and  easily 
satisfied." 

While  the  philosophic  Ibrahim  Ebn  Abu  Ayub 
passed  his  time  thus  sagely  in  his  hermitage,  the  pacific 
Aben  Habuz  carried  on  furious  campaigns  in  effigy 
in  his  tower.  It  was  a  glorious  thing  for  an  old  man, 
like  himself,  of  quiet  habits,  to  have  war  made  easy, 
and  to  be  enabled  to  amuse  himself  in  his  chamber  by 
brushing  away  whole  armies  like  so  many  swarms  of 
flies. 

For  a  time  he  rioted  in  the  indulgence  of  his  humors, 
and  even  taunted  and  insulted  his  neighbors,  to  induce 
them  to  make  incursions;  but  by  degrees  they  grew 
wary  from  repeated  disasters,  until  no  one  ventured 
to  invade  his  territories.  For  many  months  the  bronze 
horseman  remained  on  the  peace  establishment,  with 


LEGEND  OF  ARABIAN  ASTROLOGER     151 

his  lance  elevated  in  the  air;  and  the  worthy  old 
monarch  began  to  repine  at  the  want  of  his  accus 
tomed  sport,  and  to  grow  peevish  at  his  monotonous 
tranquillity. 

At  length,  one  day,  the  talismanic  horseman  veered 
suddenly  round,  and  lowering  his  lance,  made  a  dead 
point  towards  the  mountains  of  Guadix.  Aben  Habuz 
hastened  to  his  tower,  but  the  magic  table  in  that  direc 
tion  remained  quiet ;  not  a  single  warrior  was  in 
motion.  Perplexed  at  the  circumstance,  he  sent  forth 
a  troop  of  horse  to  scour  the  mountains  and  recon 
noitre.  They  returned  after  three  days'  absence. 

"  We  have  searched  every  mountain  pass,"  said  they, 
"  but  not  a  helm  nor  spear  was  stirring.  All  that  we 
have  found  in  the  course  of  our  foray,  was  a  Christian 
damsel  of  surpassing  beauty,  sleeping  at  noontide  be 
side  a  fountain,  whom  we  have  brought  away  captive." 

"  A  damsel  of  surpassing  beauty !  "  exclaimed  Aben 
Habuz,  his  eyes  gleaming  with  animation ;  "  let  her 
be  conducted  into  my  presence." 

The  beautiful  damsel  was  accordingly  conducted  into 
his  presence.  She  was  arrayed  with  all  the  luxury  of 
ornament  that  had  prevailed  among  the  Gothic  Span 
iards  at  the  time  of  the  Arabian  conquest.  Pearls  of 
dazzling  whiteness  were  entwined  with  her  raven 
tresses ;  and  jewels  sparkled  on  her  forehead,  rivalling 
the  lustre  of  her  eyes.  Around  her  neck  was  a  golden 
chain,  to  which  was  suspended  a  silver  lyre,  which 
hung  by  her  side. 

The  flashes  of  her  dark  refulgent  eye  were  like  sparks 
of  fire  on  the  withered  yet  combustible  heart  of  Aben 
Habuz ;  the  swimming  voluptuousness  of  her  gait 
made  his  senses  reel.  "  Fairest  of  women,"  cried  he, 
with  rapture,  "who  and  what  art  thou?" 

"  The  daughter  of  one  of  the  Gothic  princes,  who 
but  lately  ruled  over  this  land.  The  armies  of  my 
father  have  been  destroyed,  as  if  by  magic,  among 


152  THE  ALHAMBRA 

these  mountains;  he  has  been  driven  into  exile,  and 
his  daughter  is  a  captive." 

"  Beware,  O  king !  "  whispered  Ibrahim  Ebn  Abu 
Ayub,  "  this  may  be  one  of  those  northern  sorceresses 
of  whom  we  have  heard,  who  assume  the  most  seduc 
tive  forms  to  beguile  the  unwary.  Methinks  I  read 
witchcraft  in  her  eye,  and  sorcery  in  every  movement. 
Doubtless  this  is  the  enemy  pointed  out  by  the 
talisman." 

"  Son  of  Abu  Ayub,"  replied  the  king,  "  thou  art  a 
wise  man,  I  grant,  a  conjuror  for  aught  I  know ;  but 
thou  art  little  versed  in  the  ways  of  woman.  In  that 
knowledge  will  I  yield  to  no  man ;  no,  not  to  the  wise 
Solomon  himself,  notwithstanding  the  number  of  his 
wives  and  concubines.  As  to  this  damsel,  I  see  no 
harm  in  her ;  she  is  fair  to  look  upon,  and  finds  favor 
in  my  eyes." 

"  Hearken,  O  king !  "  replied  the  astrologer.  "  I 
have  given  thee  many  victories  by  means  of  my  talis 
man,  but  have  never  shared  any  of  the  spoil.  Give  me 
then  this  stray  captive,  to  solace  me  in  my  solitude  with 
her  silver  lyre.  If  she  be  indeed  a  sorceress,  I  have 
counter  spells  that  set  her  charms  at  defiance." 

"  What !  more  women ! "  cried  Aben  Habuz. 
"  Hast  thou  not  already  dancing-women  enough  to 
solace  thee?  " 

"  Dancing-women  have  I,  it  is  true,  but  no  singing- 
women.  I  would  fain  have  a  little  minstrelsy  to  re 
fresh  my  mind  when  weary  with  the  toils  of  study." 

"  A  truce  with  thy  hermit  cravings,"  said  the  king, 
impatiently.  "  This  damsel  have  I  marked  for  my 
own.  I  see  much  comfort  in  her;  even  such  comfort 
as  David,  the  father  of  Solomon  the  Wise,  found  in  the 
society  of  Abishag  the  Shunamite." 

Further  solicitations  and  remonstrances  of  the  as 
trologer  only  provoked  a  more  peremptory  reply  from 
the  monarch,  and  they  parted  in  high  displeasure.  The 


LEGEND  OF  ARABIAN  ASTROLOGER     153 

sage  shut  himself  up  in  his  hermitage  to  brood  over  his 
disappointment;  ere  he  departed,  however,  he  gave 
the  king  one  more  warning  to  beware  of  his  dangerous 
captive.  But  where  is  the  old  man  in  love  that  will 
listen  to  counsel?  Aben  Habuz  resigned  himself  to  the 
full  sway  of  his  passion.  His  only  study  was  how  to 
render  himself  amiable  in  the  eyes  of  the  Gothic 
beauty.  He  had  not  youth  to  recommend  him,  it  is 
true,  but  then  he  had  riches ;  and  when  a  lover  is  old, 
he  is  generally  generous.  The  Zacatin  of  Granada  was 
ransacked  for  the  most  precious  merchandise  of  the 
East;  silks,  jewels,  precious  gems,  exquisite  perfumes, 
all  that  Asia  and  Africa  yielded  of  rich  and  rare, 
were  lavished  upon  the  princess.  All  kinds  of  spec 
tacles  and  festivities  were  devised  for  her  entertain 
ment  ;  minstrelsy,  dancing,  tournaments,  bull-fights ; 
—  Granada  for  a  time  was  a  scene  of  perpetual 
pageant.  The  Gothic  princess  regarded  all  this 
splendor  with  the  air  of  one  accustomed  to  magnifi 
cence.  She  received  everything  as  a  homage  due  to 
her  rank,  or  rather  to  her  beauty ;  for  beauty  is  more 
lofty  in  its  exactions  even  than  rank.  Nay,  she  seemed 
to  take  a  secret  pleasure  in  exciting  the  monarch  to  ex 
penses  that  made  his  treasury  shrink,  and  then  treat 
ing  his  extravagant  generosity  as  a  mere  matter  of 
course.  With  all  his  assiduity  and  munificence,  also, 
the  venerable  lover  could  not  flatter  himself  that  he 
had  made  any  impression  on  her  heart.  She  never 
frowned  on  him,  it  is  true,  but  then  she  never  smiled. 
Whenever  he  began  to  plead  his  passion,  she  struck 
her  silver  lyre.  There  was  a  mystic  charm  in  the 
sound.  In  an  instant  the  monarch  began  to  nod ;  a 
drowsiness  stole  over  him,  and  he  gradually  sank  into 
a  sleep,  from  which  he  awoke  wonderfully  refreshed, 
but  perfectly  cooled  for  the  time  of  his  passion.  This 
was  very  baffling  to  his  suit ;  but  then  these  slumbers 
were  accompanied  by  agreeable  dreams,  which  com- 


154  THE  ALHAMBRA 

pletely  inthralled  the  senses  of  the  drowsy  lover;  so 
he  continued  to  dream  on,  while  all  Granada  scoffed 
at  his  infatuation,  and  groaned  at  the  treasures 
lavished  for  a  song. 

At  length  a  danger  burst  on  the  head  of  Aben 
Habuz,  against  which  his  talisman  yielded  him  no 
warning.  An  insurrection  broke  out  in  his  very  capital ; 
his  palace  was  surrounded  by  an  armed  rabble,  who 
menaced  his  life  and  the  life  of  his  Christian  para 
mour.  A  spark  of  his  ancient  warlike  spirit  was 
awakened  in  the  breast  of  the  monarch.  At  the  head 
of  a  handful  of  his  guards  he  sallied  forth,  put  the 
rebels  to  flight,  and  crushed  the  insurrection  in  the 
bud. 

When  quiet  was  again  restored,  he  sought  the  as 
trologer,  who  still  remained  shut  up  in  his  hermitage, 
chewing  the  bitter  cud  of  resentment. 

Aben  Habuz  approached  him  with  a  conciliatory 
tone.  "  O  wise  son  of  Abu  Ayub,"  said  he,  "  well  didst 
thou  predict  dangers  to  me  from  this  captive  beauty : 
tell  me  then,  thou  who  art  so  quick  at  foreseeing  peril, 
what  I  should  do  to  avert  it." 

"  Put  from  thee  the  infidel  damsel  who  is  the 
cause." 

"  Sooner  would  I  part  with  my  kingdom,"  cried 
Aben  Habuz. 

'  Thou  art  in  danger  of  losing  both,"  replied  the 
astrologer. 

"  Be  not  harsh  and  angry,  O  most  profound  of  phi 
losophers;  consider  the  double  distress  of  a  monarch 
and  a  lover,  and  devise  some  means  of  protecting  me 
from  the  evils  by  which  I  am  menaced.  I  care  not  for 
grandeur,  I  care  not  for  power,  I  languish  only  for 
repose;  would  that  I  had  some  quiet  retreat  where  I 
might  take  refuge  from  the  world,  and  all  its  cares, 
and  pomps,  and  troubles,  and  devote  the  remainder  of 
my  days  to  tranquillity  and  love." 


LEGEND  OF  ARABIAN  ASTROLOGER     155 

The  astrologer  regarded  him  for  a  moment  from 
under  his  bushy  eyebrows. 

"  And  what  wouldst  thou  give,  if  I  could  provide 
thee  such  a  retreat  ?  " 

"  Thou  shouldst  name  thy  own  reward ;  and  what 
ever  it  might  be,  if  within  the  scope  of  my  power,  as 
my  soul  liveth,  it  should  be  thine." 

"  Thou  hast  heard,  O  king,  of  the  garden  of  Irem, 
one  of  the  prodigies  of  Arabia  the  happy." 

"  I  have  heard  of  that  garden ;  it  is  recorded  in  the 
Koran,  even  in  the  chapter  entitled  '  The  Dawn  of  Day.' 
I  have,  moreover,  heard  marvellous  things  related  of 
it  by  pilgrims  who  had  been  to  Mecca ;  but  I  considered 
them  wild  fables,  such  as  travellers  are  wont  to  tell 
who  have  visited  remote  countries." 

"  Discredit  not,  O  king,  the  tales  of  travellers," 
rejoined  the  astrologer,  gravely,  "  for  they  contain 
precious  rarities  of  knowledge  brought  from  the  ends 
of  the  earth.  As  to  the  palace  and  garden  of  Irem, 
what  is  generally  told  of  them  is  true;  I  have  seen 
them  with  mine  own  eyes ;  —  listen  to  my  adventure, 
for  it  has  a  bearing  upon  the  object  of  your  request. 

"  In  my  younger  days,  when  a  mere  Arab  of  the 
desert,  I  tended  my  father's  camels.  In  traversing  the 
desert  of  Aden,  one  of  them  strayed  from  the  rest, 
and  was  lost.  I  searched  after  it  for  several  days,  but 
in  vain,  until,  wearied  and  faint,  I  laid  myself  down 
at  noontide,  and  slept  under  a  palm-tree  by  the  side  of 
a  scanty  well.  When  I  awoke  I  found  myself  at  the 
gate  of  a  city.  I  entered,  and  beheld  noble  streets, 
and  squares,  and  market-places ;  but  all  were  silent  and 
without  an  inhabitant.  I  wandered  on  until  I  came  to 
a  sumptuous  palace,  with  a  garden  adorned  with  foun 
tains  and  fish-ponds,  and  groves  and  flowers,  and  or 
chards  laden  with  delicious  fruit ;  but  still  no  one  was 
to  be  seen.  Upon  which,  appalled  at  this  loneliness, 
I  hastened  to  depart;  and,  after  issuing  forth  at  the 


156  THE  ALHAMBRA 

gate  of  the  city,  I  turned  to  look  upon  the  place,  but  it 
was  no  longer  to  be  seen ;  nothing  but  the  silent  desert 
extended  before  my  eyes. 

"  In  the  neighborhood  I  met  with  an  aged  dervise, 
learned  in  the  traditions  and  secrets  of  the  land,  and 
related  to  him  what  had  befallen  me.  '  This,'  said  he, 
'  is  the  far-famed  garden  of  Irem,  one  of  the  wonders 
of  the  desert.  It  only  appears  at  times  to  some  wan 
derer  like  thyself  gladdening  him  with  the  sight  of 
towers  and  palaces  and  garden-walls  overhung  with 
richly-laden  fruit-trees,  and  then  vanishes,  leaving 
nothing  but  a  lonely  desert.  And  this  is  the  story  of 
it.  In  old  times,  when  this  country  was  inhabited  by 
the  Addites,  King  Sheddad,  the  son  of  Ad,  the  great- 
grandson  of  Noah,  founded  here  a  splendid  city. 
When  it  was  finished,  and  he  saw  its  grandeur,  his 
heart  was  puffed  up  with  pride  and  arrogance,  and  he 
determined  to  build  a  royal  palace,  with  gardens  which 
should  rival  all  related  in  the  Koran  of  the  celestial 
paradise.  But  the  curse  of  heaven  fell  upon  him  for 
his  presumption.  He  and  his  subjects  were  swept  from 
the  earth,  and  his  splendid  city,  and  palace,  and  gar 
dens,  were  laid  under  a  perpetual  spell,  which  hides 
them  from  human  sight,  excepting  that  they  are  seen 
at  intervals,  by  way  of  keeping  his  sin  in  perpetual 
remembrance.' 

"  This  story,  O  king,  and  the  wonders  I  had  seen, 
ever  dwelt  in  my  mind ;  and  in  after-years,  when  I  had 
been  in  Egypt,  and  was  possessed  of  the  book  of 
knowledge  of  Solomon  the  Wise,  I  determined  to  re 
turn  and  revisit  the  garden  of  Irem.  I  did  so,  and 
found  it  revealed  to  my  instructed  sight.  I  took  pos 
session  of  the  palace  of  Sheddad,  and  passed  several 
days  in  his  mock  paradise.  The  genii  who  watch  over 
the  place  were  obedient  to  my  magic  power,  and  re 
vealed  to  me  the  spells  by  which  the  whole  garden  had 
been,  as  it  were,  conjured  into  existence,  and  by  which 


157 

it  was  rendered  invisible.  Such  a  palace  and  garden,  O 
king,  can  I  make  for  thee,  even  here,  on  the  mountain 
above  thy  city.  Do  I  not  know  all  the  secret  spells? 
and  am  I  not  in  possession  of  the  book  of  knowledge 
of  Solomon  the  Wise?  " 

"O  wise  son  of  Abu  Ayub!"  exclaimed  Aben 
Habuz,  trembling  with  eagerness,  "  thou  art  a  traveller 
indeed,  and  hast  seen  and  learned  marvellous  things! 
Contrive  me  such  a  paradise,  and  ask  any  reward,  even 
to  the  half  of  my  kingdom." 

"  Alas !  "  replied  the  other,  "  thou  knowest  I  am  an 
old  man,  and  a  philosopher,  and  easily  satisfied ;  all 
the  reward  I  ask  is  the  first  beast  of  burden,  with 
its  load,  which  shall  enter  the  magic  portal  of  the 
palace." 

The  monarch  gladly  agreed  to  so  moderate  a  stipula 
tion,  and  the  astrologer  began  his  work.  On  the  sum 
mit  of  the  hill,  immediately  above  his  subterranean 
hermitage,  he  caused  a  great  gateway  or  barbican  to 
be  erected,  opening  through  the  centre  of  a  strong 
tower. 

There  was  an  outer  vestibule  or  porch,  with  a  lofty 
arch,  and  within  it  a  portal  secured  by  massive  gates. 
On  the  keystone  of  the  portal  the  astrologer,  with  his 
own  hand,  wrought  the  figure  of  a  huge  key ;  and  on 
the  keystone  of  the  outer  arch  of  the  vestibule,  which 
was  loftier  than  that  of  the  portal,  he  carved  a  gigantic 
hand.  These  were  potent  talismans,  over  which  he 
repeated  many  sentences  in  an  unknown  tongue. 

When  this  gateway  was  finished,  he  shut  himself 
up  for  two  days  in  his  astrological  hall,  engaged  in 
secret  incantations ;  on  the  third  he  ascended  the  hill, 
and  passed  the  whole  day  on  its  summit.  At  a  late 
hour  of  the  night  he  came  down,  and  presented  himself 
before  Aben  Habuz.  "  At  length,  O  king,"  said  he, 
"  my  labor  is  accomplished.  On  the  summit  of  the 
hill  stands  one  of  the  most  delectable  palaces  that  ever 


158  THE  ALHAMBRA 

the  head  of  man  devised,  or  the  heart  of  man  desired. 
It  contains  sumptuous  halls  and  galleries,  delicious 
gardens,  cool  fountains,  and  fragrant  baths;  in  a 
word,  the  whole  mountain  is  converted  into  a  paradise. 
Like  the  garden  of  Irem,  it  is  protected  by  a  mighty 
charm,  which  hides  it  from  the  view  and  search  of 
mortals,  excepting  such  as  possess  the  secret  of  its 
talismans." 

"  Enough !  "  cried  Aben  Habuz,  joyfully,  "  to 
morrow  morning  with  the  first  light  we  will  ascend 
and  take  possession."  The  happy  monarch  slept  but 
little  that  night.  Scarcely  had  the  rays  of  the  sun  be 
gun  to  play  about  the  snowy  summit  of  the  Sierra 
Nevada,  when  he  mounted  his  steed,  and,  accompanied 
only  by  a  few  chosen  attendants,  ascended  a  steep  and 
narrow  road  leading  up  the  hill.  Beside  him,  on  a 
white  palfrey,  rode  the  Gothic  princess,  her  whole  dress 
sparkling  with  jewels,  while  round  her  neck  was  sus 
pended  her  silver  lyre.  The  astrologer  walked  on  the 
other  side  of  the  king,  assisting  his  steps  with  his 
hieroglyphic  staff,  for  he  never  mounted  steed  of  any 
kind. 

Aben  Habuz  looked  to  see  the  towers  of  the  palace 
brightening  above  him,  and  the  embowered  terraces  of 
its  gardens  stretching  along  the  heights;  but  as  yet 
nothing  of  the  kind  was  to  be  descried.  "  That  is  the 
mystery  and  safeguard  of  the  place,"  said  the  astrol 
oger,  "  nothing  can  be  discerned  until  you  have  passed 
the  spell-bound  gateway,  and  been  put  in  possession  of 
the  place." 

As  they  approached  the  gateway,  the  astrologer 
paused,  and  pointed  out  to  the  king  the  mystic  hand 
and  key  carved  upon  the  portal  of  the  arch.  "  These," 
said  he,  "  are  the  talismans  which  guard  the  entrance 
to  this  paradise.  Until  yonder  hand  shall  reach  down 
and  seize  that  key,  neither  mortal  power  nor  magic 
artifice  can  prevail  against  the  lord  of  this  mountain." 


LEGEND  OF  ARABIAN  ASTROLOGER     159 

While  Aben  Habuz  was  gazing,  with  open  mouth  and 
silent  wonder,  at  these  mystic  talismans,  the  palfrey  of 
the  princess  proceeded,  and  bore  her  in  at  the  portal, 
to  the  very  centre  of  the  barbican. 

"  Behold,"  cried  the  astrologer,  "  my  promised  re 
ward;  the  first  animal  with  its  burden  which  should 
enter  the  magic  gateway." 

Aben  Habuz  smiled  at  what  he  considered  a  pleas 
antry  of  the  ancient  man ;  but  when  he  found  him  to 
be  in  earnest,  his  gray  beard  trembled  with  indignation. 

"  Son  of  Abu  Ayub,"  said  he,  sternly,  "  what  equiv 
ocation  is  this?  Thou  knowest  the  meaning  of  my 
promise:  the  first  beast  of  burden,  with  its  load,  that 
should  enter  this  portal.  Take  the  strongest  mule  in 
my  stables,  load  it  with  the  most  precious  things  of  my 
treasury,  and  it  is  thine ;  but  dare  not  raise  thy  thoughts 
to  her  who  is  the  delight  of  my  heart." 

"  What  need  I  of  wealth  ?  "  cried  the  astrologer, 
scornfully;  "have  I  not  the  book  of  knowledge  of 
Solomon  the  Wise,  and  through  it  the  command  of  the 
secret  treasures  of  the  earth  ?  The  princess  is  mine  by 
right ;  thy  royal  word  is  pledged ;  I  claim  her  as  my 
own." 

The  princess  looked  do\vn  haughtily  from  her  pal 
frey,  and  a  light  smile  of  scorn  curled  her  rosy  lip  at 
this  dispute  between  two  gray-beards  for  the  posses 
sion  of  youth  and  beauty.  The  wrath  of  the  monarch 
got  the  better  of  his  discretion.  "  Base  son  of  the 
desert,"  cried  he,  "  thou  mayst  be  master  of  many  arts, 
but  know  me  for  thy  master,  and  presume  not  to  juggle 
with  thy  king." 

"  My  master!  my  king!  "  echoed  the  astrologer,  — 
"  the  monarch  of  a  mole-hill  to  claim  sway  over  him 
who  possesses  the  talismans  of  Solomon !  Farewell, 
Aben  Habuz ;  reign  over  thy  petty  kingdom,  and  revel 
in  thy  paradise  of  fools ;  for  me,  I  will  laugh  at  thee 
in  my  philosophic  retirement." 


160  THE  ALHAMBRA 

So  saying,  he  seized  the  bridle  of  the  palfrey,  smote 
the  earth  with  his  staff,  and  sank  with  the  Gothic  prin 
cess  through  the  centre  of  the  barbican.  The  earth 
closed  over  them,  and  no  trace  remained  of  the  open 
ing  by  which  they  had  descended. 

Aben  Habuz  was  struck  dumb  for  a  time  with  aston 
ishment.  Recovering  himself,  he  ordered  a  thousand 
workmen  to  dig,  with  pickaxe  and  spade,  into  the 
ground  where  the  astrologer  had  disappeared.  They 
digged  and  digged,  but  in  vain;  the  flinty  bosom  of 
the  hill  resisted  their  implements;  or  if  they  did  pene 
trate  a  little  way,  the  earth  filled  in  again  as  fast  as 
they  threw  it  out.  Aben  Habuz  sought  the  mouth  of 
the  cavern  at  the  foot  of  the  hill,  leading  to  the  sub 
terranean  palace  of  the  astrologer ;  but  it  was  nowhere 
to  be  found.  Where  once  had  been  an  entrance,  was 
now  a  solid  surface  of  primeval  rock.  With  the  disap 
pearance  of  Ibrahim  Ebn  Abu  Ayub  ceased  the  benefit 
of  his  talismans.  The  bronze  horseman  remained 
fixed,  with  his  face  turned  toward  the  hill,  and  his 
spear  pointed  to  the  spot  where  the  astrologer  had 
descended,  as  if  there  still  lurked  the  deadliest  foe  of 
Aben  Habuz. 

From  time  to  time  the  sound  of  music,  and  the  tones 
of  a  female  voice,  could  be  faintly  heard  from  the 
bosom  of  the  hill ;  and  a  peasant  one  day  brought  word 
to  the  king,  that  in  the  preceding  night  he  had  found 
a  fissure  in  the  rock,  by  which  he  had  crept  in,  until  he 
looked  down  into  a  subterranean  hall,  in  which  sat  the 
astrologer,  on  a  magnificent  divan,  slumbering  and  nod 
ding  to  the  silver  lyre  of  the  princess,  which  seemed 
to  hold  a  magic  sway  over  his  senses. 

Aben  Habuz  sought  the  fissure  in  the  rock,  but  it  was 
again  closed.  He  renewed  the  attempt  to  unearth  his 
rival,  but  all  in  vain.  The  spell  of  the  hand  and  key 
was  too  potent  to  be  counteracted  by  human  power.  As 
to  the  summit  of  the  mountain,  the  site  of  the  promised 


LEGEND  OF  ARABIAN  ASTROLOGER     161 

palace  and  garden,  it  remained  a  naked  waste;  either 
the  boasted  elysium  was  hidden  from  sight  by  enchant 
ment,  or  was  a  mere  fable  of  the  astrologer.  The  world 
charitably  supposed  the  latter,  and  some  used  to  call 
the  place  "  The  King's  Folly  " ;  while  others  named  it 
"  The  Fool's  Paradise." 

To  add  to  the  chagrin  of  Aben  Habtiz,  the  neighbors 
whom  he  had  defied  and  taunted,  and  cut  up  at  his 
leisure  while  master  of  the  talismanic  horseman,  find 
ing  him  no  longer  protected  by  magic  spell,  made  in 
roads  into  his  territories  from  all  sides,  and  the  re 
mainder  of  the  life  of  the  most  pacific  of  monarchs 
was  a  tissue  of  turmoils. 

At  length  Aben  Habuz  died,  and  was  buried.  Ages 
have  since  rolled  away.  The  Alhambra  has  been  built 
on  the  eventful  mountain,  and  in  some  measure  realizes 
the  fabled  delights  of  the  garden  of  Irem.  The  spell 
bound  gateway  still  exists  entire,  protected  no  doubt 
by  the  mystic  hand  and  key,  and  now  forms  the  Gate 
of  Justice,  the  grand  entrance  to  the  fortress.  Under 
that  gateway,  it  is  said,  the  old  astrologer  remains  in 
his  subterranean  hall,  nodding  on  his  divan,  lulled  by 
the  silver  lyre  of  the  princess. 

The  old  invalid  sentinels  who  mount  guard  at  the 
gate  hear  the  strains  occasionally  in  the  summer  nights ; 
and,  yielding  to  their  soporific  power,  doze  quietly  at 
their  posts.  Nay,  so  drowsy  an  influence  pervades  the 
place,  that  even  those  who  watch  by  day  may  generally 
be  seen  nodding  on  the  stone  benches  of  the  barbican, 
or  sleeping  under  the  neighboring  trees ;  so  that  in  fact 
it  is  the  drowsiest  military  post  in  all  Christendom. 
All  this,  say  the  ancient  legends,  will  endure  from  age 
to  age.  The  princess  will  remain  captive  to  the  astrol 
oger;  and  the  astrologer,  bound  up  in  magic  slumber 
by  the  princess,  until  the  last  day,  unless  the  mystic 
hand  shall  grasp  the  fated  key,  and  dispel  the  whole 
charm  of  this  enchanted  mountain. 


1 62  THE  ALHAMBRA 


NOTE  TO   THE  ARABIAN   ASTROLOGER 

Al  Makkari,  in  his  history  of  the  Mahommedan  Dynasties  in 
Spain,  cites  from  another  Arabian  writer  an  account  of  a  talis- 
manic  effigy  somewhat  similar  to  the  one  in  the  foregoing  legend. 

In  Cadiz,  says  he,  there  formerly  stood  a  square  tower  upwards 
of  one  hundred  cubits  high,  built  of  huge  blocks  of  stone,  fastened 
together  with  clamps  of  brass.  On  the  top  was  the  figure  of  a 
man,  holding  a  staff  in  his  right  hand,  his  face  turned  to  the  At 
lantic,  and  pointing  with  the  forefinger  of  his  left  hand  to  the 
Straits  of  Gibraltar.  It  was  said  to  have  been  set  up  in  ancient 
times  by  the  Gothic  kings  of  Andalus,  as  a  beacon  or  guide  to 
navigators.  The  Moslems  of  Barbary  and  Andalus  considered  it 
a  talisman  which  exercised  a  spell  over  the  seas.  Under  its  guid 
ance,  swarms  of  piratical  people  of  a  nation  called  Majus,  ap 
peared  on  the  coast  in  large  vessels  with  a  square  sail  in  the  bow, 
and  another  in  the  stern.  They  came  every  six  or  seven  years ; 
captured  everything  they  met  with  on  the  sea ;  —  guided  by  the 
statue,  they  passed  through  the  Straits  into  the  Mediterranean, 
landed  on  the  coasts  of  Andalus,  laid  everything  waste  with  fire 
and  sword ;  and  sometimes  carried  their  depredations  on  the  op 
posite  coasts  even  as  far  as  Syria. 

At  length  it  came  to  pass  in  the  time  of  the  civil  wars,  a  Moslem 
Admiral  who  had  taken  possession  of  Cadiz,  hearing  that  the 
statue  on  top  of  the  tower  was  of  pure  gold,  had  it  lowered  to  the 
ground  and  broken  to  pieces :  when  it  proved  to  be  of  gilded  brass. 
With  the  destruction  of  the  idol,  the  spell  over  the  sea  was  at  an 
end.  From  that  time  forward  nothing  more  was  seen  of  the 
piratical  people  of  the  ocean  excepting  that  two  of  their  barks 
were  wrecked  on  the  coast,  one  at  Marsu-1-Majus  (the  port  of  the 
Majus),  the  other  close  to  the  promontory  of  Al  Aghan. 

The  maritime  invaders  above  mentioned  by  Al  Makkari  must 
have  been  the  Northmen. 


VISITORS   TO   THE  ALHAMBRA 

FOR  nearly  three  months  had  I  enjoyed  undisturbed 
my  dream  of  sovereignty  in  the  Alhambra,  —  a  longer 
term  of  quiet  than  had  been  the  lot  of  many  of  my 
predecessors.  During  this  lapse  of  time  the  progress 
of  the  season  had  wrought  the  usual  change.  On  my 
arrival  I  had  found  everything  in  the  freshness  of 
May;  the  foliage  of  the  trees  was  still  tender  and 
transparent;  the  pomegranate  had  not  yet  shed  its 


VISITORS  TO  THE  ALHAMBRA       163 

brilliant  crimson  blossoms ;  the  orchards  of  the  Xenil 
and  the  Darro  were  in  full  bloom ;  the  rocks  were  hung 
with  wild  flowers,  and  Granada  seemed  completely  sur 
rounded  by  a  wilderness  of  roses;  among  which  in 
numerable  nightingales  sang,  not  merely  in  the  night, 
but  all  day  long. 

Now  the  advance  of  summer  had  withered  the  rose 
and  silenced  the  nightingale,  and  the  distant  country 
began  to  look  parched  and  sunburnt;  though  a  peren 
nial  verdure  reigned  immediately  round  the  city  and 
in  the  deep  narrow  valleys  at  the  foot  of  the  snow 
capped  mountains. 

The  Alhambra  possesses  retreats  graduated  to  the 
heat  of  the  weather,  among  which  the  most  peculiar  is 
the  almost  subterranean  apartment  of  the  baths.  This 
still  retains  its  ancient  Oriental  character,  though 
stamped  with  the  touching  traces  of  decline.  At  the 
entrance,  opening  into  a  small  court  formerly  adorned 
with  flowers,  is  a  hall,  moderate  in  size,  but  light  and 
graceful  in  architecture.  It  is  overlooked  by  a  small 
gallery  supported  by  marble  pillars  and  Moresco  arches. 
An  alabaster  fountain  in  the  centre  of  the  pavement 
still  throws  up  a  jet  of  water  to  cool  the  place.  On 
each  side  are  deep  alcoves  with  raised  platforms,  where 
the  bathers,  after  their  ablutions,  reclined  on  cushions, 
soothed  to  voluptuous  repose  by  the  fragrance  of  the 
perfumed  air  and  the  notes  of  soft  music  from  the 
gallery.  Beyond  this  hall  are  the  interior  chambers, 
still  more  retired ;  the  sanctum  sanctorum  of  female 
privacy ;  for  here  the  beauties  of  the  Harem  indulged 
in  the  luxury  of  the  baths.  A  soft  mysterious  light 
reigns  through  the  place,  admitted  through  small  aper 
tures  (lumbreras)  in  the  vaulted  ceiling.  The  traces 
of  ancient  elegance  are  still  to  be  seen ;  and  the  alabas 
ter  baths  in  which  the  sultanas  once  reclined.  The 
prevailing  obscurity  and  silence  have  made  these  vaults 
a  favorite  resort  of  bats,  who  nestle  during  the  day  in 


164  THE  ALHAMBRA 

the  dark  nooks  and  corners,  and  on  being  disturbed, 
flit  mysteriously  about  the  twilight  chambers,  height 
ening,  in  an  indescribable  degree,  their  air  of  desertion 
and  decay. 

In  this  cool  and  elegant,  though  dilapidated  retreat, 
which  had  the  freshness  and  seclusion  of  a  grotto,  I 
passed  the  sultry  hours  of  the  day  as  summer  advanced, 
emerging  towards  sunset;  and  bathing,  or  rather 
swimming,  at  night  in  the  great  reservoir  of  the  main 
court.  In  this  way  I  was  enabled  in  a  measure  to 
counteract  the  relaxing  and  enervating  influence  of 
the  climate. 

My  dream  of  absolute  sovereignty,  however,  came 
at  length  to  an  end.  I  was  roused  one  morning  by  the 
report  of  fire-arms,  which  reverberated  among  the 
towers  as  if  the  castle  had  been  taken  by  surprise.  On 
sallying  forth,  I  found  an  old  cavalier  with  a  number 
of  domestics  in  possession  of  the  Hall  of  Ambassa 
dors.  He  was  an  ancient  count  who  had  come  up  from 
his  palace  in  Granada  to  pass  a  short  time  in  the  Al- 
hambra  for  the  benefit  of  purer  air;  and  who,  being 
a  veteran  and  inveterate  sportsman,  was  endeavoring 
to  get  an  appetite  for  his  breakfast  by  shooting  at 
swallows  from  the  balconies.  It  was  a  harmless  amuse 
ment;  for  though,  by  the  alertness  of  his  attendants 
in  loading  his  pieces,  he  was  enabled  to  keep  up  a  brisk 
fire,  I  could  not  accuse  him  of  the  death  of  a  single 
swallow.  Nay,  the  birds  themselves  seemed  to  enjoy 
the  sport,  and  to  deride  his  want  of  skill,  skimming  in 
circles  close  to  the  balconies,  and  twittering  as  they 
darted  by. 

The  arrival  of  this  old  gentleman  changed  essentially 
the  aspect  of  affairs,  but  caused  no  jealousy  nor  col 
lision.  We  tacitly  shared  the  empire  between  us,  like 
the  last  kings  of  Granada,  excepting  that  we  main 
tained  a  most  amicable  alliance.  He  reigned  absolute 
over  the  Court  of  the  Lions  and  its  adjacent  halls,  while 


VISITORS  TO  THE  ALHAMBRA       165 

I  maintained  peaceful  possession  of  the  regions  of  the 
baths  and  the  little  garden  of  Lindaraxa.  We  took 
our  meals  together  under  the  arcades  of  the  court, 
where  the  fountains  cooled  the  air,  and  bubbling  rills 
ran  along  the  channels  of  the  marble  pavement. 

In  the  evenings  a  domestic  circle  would  gather  about 
the  worthy  old  cavalier.  The  countess,  his  wife  by  a 
second  marriage,  would  come  up  from  the  city  accom 
panied  by  her  step-daughter  Carmen,  an  only  child,  a 
charming  little  being,  still  in  her  girlish  years.  Then 
there  were  always  some  of  his  official  dependants,  his 
chaplain,  his  lawyer,  his  secretary,  his  steward,  and 
other  officers  and  agents  of  his  extensive  possessions, 
who  brought  him  up  the  news  or  gossip  of  the  city, 
and  formed  his  evening  party  of  tresillo  or  ombre. 
Thus  he  held  a  kind  of  domestic  court,  where  each  one 
paid  him  deference,  and  sought  to  contribute  to  his 
amusement,  without,  however,  any  appearance  of  ser 
vility,  or  any  sacrifice  of  self-respect.  In  fact,  nothing 
of  the  kind  was  exacted  by  the  demeanor  of  the  count ; 
for  whatever  may  be  said  of  Spanish  pride,  it  rarely 
chills  or  constrains  the  intercourse  of  social  or  domes 
tic  life.  Among  no  people  are  the  relations  between 
kindred  more  unreserved  and  cordial,  or  between  su 
perior  and  dependant  more  free  from  haughtiness  on 
the  one  side,  and  obsequiousness  on  the  other.  In  these 
respects  there  still  remains  in  Spanish  life,  especially  in 
the  provinces,  much  of  the  vaunted  simplicity  of  the 
olden  time. 

The  most  interesting  member  of  this  family  group, 
in  my  eyes,  was  the  daughter  of  the  count,  the  lovely 
little  Carmen.  She  was  but  about  sixteen  years  of  age, 
and  appeared  to  be  considered  a  mere  child,  though 
the  idol  of  the  family,  going  generally  by  the  childlike 
but  endearing  appellation  of  la  Nina.  Her  form  had 
not  yet  attained  full  maturity  and  development,  but 
possessed  already  the  exquisite  symmetry  and  pliant 


1 66  THE  ALHAMBRA 

grace  so  prevalent  in  this  country.  Her  blue  eyes,  fair 
complexion,  and  light  hair  were  unusual  in  Andalusia, 
and  gave  a  mildness  and  gentleness  to  her  demeanor 
in  contrast  to  the  usual  fire  of  Spanish  beauty,  but  in 
unison  with  the  guileless  and  confiding  innocence  of 
her  manners.  She  had  at  the  same  time  the  innate 
aptness  and  versatility  of  her  fascinating  country 
women.  Whatever  she  undertook  to  do  she  did  well 
and  apparently  without  effort.  She  sang,  played  the 
guitar  and  other  instruments,  and  danced  the  pictur 
esque  dances  of  her  country  to  admiration,  but  never 
seemed  to  seek  admiration.  Everything  was  sponta 
neous,  prompted  by  her  own  gay  spirits  and  happy 
temper. 

The  presence  of  this  fascinating  little  being  spread 
a  new  charm  about  the  Alhambra,  and  seemed  to  be 
in  unison  with  the  place.  While  the  count  and  count 
ess,  with  the  chaplain  or  secretary,  were  playing  their 
game  of  tresillo  under  the  vestibule  of  the  Court  of 
Lions,  she,  attended  by  Dolores,  who  acted  as  her  maid 
of  honor,  would  sit  by  one  of  the  fountains,  and  ac 
companying  herself  on  the  guitar,  would  sing  some  of 
those  popular  romances  which  abound  in  Spain,  or, 
what  was  still  more  to  my  taste,  some  traditional  bal 
lad  about  the  Moors. 

Never  shall  I  think  of  the  Alhambra  without  remem 
bering  this  lovely  little  being,  sporting  in  happy  and 
innocent  girlhood  in  its  marble  halls,  dancing  to  the 
sound  of  the  Moorish  castanets,  or  mingling  the  silver 
warbling  of  her  voice  with  the  music  of  its  fountains. 


RELICS  AND  GENEALOGIES  167 


RELICS  AND  GENEALOGIES 

IF  I  had  been  pleased  and  interested  by  the  count  and 
his  family,  as  furnishing  a  picture  of  a  Spanish  do 
mestic  life,  I  was  still  more  so  when  apprised  of 
historical  circumstances  which  linked  them  with  the 
heroic  times  of  Granada.  In  fact,  in  this  worthy  old 
cavalier,  so  totally  unwarlike,  or  whose  deeds  in  arms 
extended,  at  most,  to  a  war  on  swallows  and  martlets, 
I  discovered  a  lineal  descendant  and  actual  representa 
tive  of  Gonsalvo  of  Cordova,  "  The  Grand  Captain," 
who  won  some  of  his  brightest  laurels  before  the  walls 
of  Granada,  and  was  one  of  the  cavaliers  commis 
sioned  by  Ferdinand  and  Isabella  to  negotiate  the 
terms  of  surrender ;  nay,  more,  the  count  was  entitled, 
did  he  choose  it,  to  claim  remote  affinity  with  some 
of  the  ancient  Moorish  princes,  through  a  scion  of 
his  house,  Don  Pedro  Venegas,  surnamed  the  Tor- 
nadizo ;  and  by  the  same  token  his  daughter,  the 
fascinating  little  Carmen,  might  claim  to  be  rightful 
representative  of  the  princess  Cetimerien  or  the  beau 
tiful  Lindaraxa.1 

1  Lest  this  should  be  deemed  a  mere  stretch  of  fancy,  the  reader 
is  referred  to  the  following  genealogy,  derived  by  the  historian 
Alcantara,  from  an  Arabian  manuscript,  on  parchment,  in  the  ar 
chives  of  the  Marquis  of  Corvera.  It  is  a  specimen  of  the  curious 
affinities  between  Christians  and  Moslems,  produced  by  capture 
and  intermarriages,  during  the  Moorish  wars.  From  Aben  Hud, 
the  Moorish  king,  the  conqueror  of  the  Almohades,  was  descended 
in  right  line  Cid  Yahia  Abraham  Alnagar,  prince  of  Almeria,  who 
married  a  daughter  of  King  Bermejo.  They  had  three  children, 
commonly  called  the  Cetimerian  Princes,  ist.  Jusef  ben  Alhamar, 
who  for  a  time  usurped  the  throne  of  Granada.  2d.  The  Prince 
Nasar,  who  married  the  celebrated  Lindaraxa.  3d.  The  Princess 
Cetimerien,  who  married  Don  Pedro  Venegas  captured  by  the 
Moors  in  his  boyhood,  a  younger  son  of  the  House  of  Luque,  of 
which  house  the  old  court  was  the  present  head. 


1 68  THE  ALHAMBRA 

Understanding  from  the  count  that  he  had  some 
curious  relics  of  the  Conquest,  preserved  in  his  family 
archives,  I  accompanied  him  early  one  morning  down 
to  his  palace  in  Granada  to  examine  them.  The  most 
important  of  these  relics  was  the  sword  of  the  Grand 
Captain;  a  weapon  destitute  of  all  ostentatious  orna 
ment,  as  the  weapons  of  great  generals  are  apt  to  be, 
with  a  plain  hilt  of  ivory  and  a  broad  thin  blade.  It 
might  furnish  a  comment  on  hereditary  honors,  to  see 
the  sword  of  the  Grand  Captain  legitimately  declined 
into  such  feeble  hands. 

The  other  relics  of  the  Conquest  were  a  number 
of  espingardas  or  muskets  of  unwieldy  size  and  pon 
derous  weight,  worthy  to  rank  with  those  enormous 
two-edged  swords  preserved  in  old  armories,  which 
look  like  relics  from  the  days  of  the  giants. 

Beside  other  hereditary  honors,  I  found  the  old 
count  was  Alferez  mayor,  or  grand  standard-bearer, 
in  which  capacity  he  was  entitled  to  bear  the  ancient 
standard  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  on  certain  high 
and  solemn  occasions,  and  to  wave  it  over  their  tombs. 
I  was  shown  also  the  caparisons  of  velvet,  sumptuously 
embroidered  with  gold  and  silver,  for  six  horses,  with 
which  he  appeared  in  state  when  a  new  sovereign  was 
to  be  proclaimed  in  Granada  and  Seville;  the  count 
mounting  one  of  the  horses,  and  the  other  five  being 
led  by  lackeys  in  rich  liveries. 

I  had  hoped  to  find  among  the  relics  and  antiquities 
of  the  count's  palace  some  specimens  of  the  armor 
and  weapons  of  the  Moors  of  Granada,  such  as  I  had 
heard  were  preserved  as  trophies  by  the  descendants 
of  the  Conquerors;  but  in  this  I  was  disappointed.  I 
was  the  more  curious  in  this  particular,  because  an 
erroneous  idea  has  been  entertained  by  many,  as  to 
the  costumes  of  the  Moors  of  Spain;  supposing  them 
to  be  of  the  usual  Oriental  type.  On  the  contrary, 
we  have  it  on  the  authority  of  their  own  writers,  that 


RELICS  AND  GENEALOGIES  169 

they  adopted  in  many  respects  the  fashions  of  the 
Christians.  The  turban,  especially,  so  identified  in 
idea  with  the  Moslem,  was  generally  abandoned,  ex 
cept  in  the  western  provinces,  where  it  continued  in 
use  among  people  of  rank  and  wealth,  and  those  hold 
ing  places  under  government.  A  woollen  cap,  red  or 
green,  was  commonly  worn  as  a  substitute;  probably 
the  same  kind  originating  in  Barbary,  and  known  by 
the  name  of  Tunis  or  Fez,  which  at  the  present  day  is 
worn  throughout  the  East,  though  generally  under 
the  turban.  The  Jews  were  obliged  to  wear  them  of  a 
yellow  color. 

In  Murcia,  Valencia,  and  other  eastern  provinces, 
men  of  the  highest  rank  might  be  seen  in  public  bare 
headed.  The  warrior  king,  Aben  Hud,  never  wore  a 
turban,  neither  did  his  rival  and  competitor  Al  Hamar, 
the  founder  of  the  Alhambra.  A  short  cloak  called 
Taylasan,  similar  to  that  seen  in  Spain  in  the  sixteenth 
and  seventeenth  centuries,  was  worn  by  all  ranks. 
It  had  a  hood  or  cape  which  people  of  condition  some 
times  drew  over  the  head;  but  the  lower  class  never. 

A  Moslem  cavalier  in  the  thirteenth  century,  as 
described  by  Ibnu  Said,  was  equipped  for  war  very 
much  in  the  Christian  style.  Over  a  complete  suit  of 
mail  he  wore  a  short  scarlet  tunic.  His  helmet  was  of 
polished  steel ;  a  shield  was  slung  at  his  back ;  he 
wielded  a  huge  spear  with  a  broad  point,  sometimes 
a  double  point.  His  saddle  was  cumbrous,  projecting 
very  much  in  front  and  in  rear,  and  he  rode  with  a 
banner  fluttering  behind  him. 

In  the  time  of  Al  Khattib  of  Granada,  who  wrote 
in  the  fourteenth  century,  the  Moslems  of  Andalus 
had  resumed  the  Oriental  costumes,  and  were  again 
clad  and  armed  in  Arabic  fashion :  with  light  helmet, 
thin  but  well-tempered  cuirass,  long  slender  lance, 
commonly  of  reed,  Arabian  saddle  and  leathern 
buckler,  made  of  double  folds  of  the  skin  of  the 


1 7o  THE  ALHAMBRA 

antelope.  A  wonderful  luxury  prevailed  at  that  time 
in  the  arms  and  equipments  of  the  Granadian  cava 
liers.  Their  armor  was  inlaid  with  gold  and  silver. 
Their  cimeters  were  of  the  keenest  Damascus  blades, 
with  sheaths  richly  wrought  and  enamelled,  and  belts 
of  golden  filigree  studded  with  gems.  Their  daggers 
of  Fez  had  jewelled  hilts,  and  their  lances  were  set  off 
with  gay  banderoles.  Their  horses  were  caparisoned 
in  correspondent  style,  with  velvet  and  embroidery. 

All  this  minute  description,  given  by  a  contempo 
rary,  and  an  author  of  distinction,  verifies  those  gallant 
pictures  in  the  old  Morisco  Spanish  ballads  which  have 
sometimes  been  deemed  apocryphal,  and  give  a  vivid 
idea  of  the  brilliant  appearance  of  the  chivalry  of 
Granada,  when  marshalled  forth  in  warlike  array, 
or  when  celebrating  the  chivalrous  fetes  of  the 
Vivarrambla. 


THE  GENERALIFE 

HIGH  above  the  Alhambra,  on  the  breast  of  the  moun 
tain,  amidst  embowered  gardens  and  stately  terraces, 
rise  the  lofty  towers  and  white  walls  of  the  Generalif e ; 
a  fairy  palace,  full  of  storied  recollections.  Here  are 
still  to  be  seen  the  famous  cypresses  of  enormous  size 
which  flourished  in  the  time  of  the  Moors,  and  which 
tradition  has  connected  with  the  fabulous  story  of 
Boabdil  and  his  sultana. 

Here  are  preserved  the  portraits  of  many  who 
figured  in  the  romantic  drama  of  the  Conquest.  Ferdi 
nand  and  Isabella,  Ponce  de  Leon,  the  gallant  Marquis 
of  Cadiz,  and  Garcilasso  de  la  Vega,  who  slew  in 
desperate  fight  Tarfe  the  Moor,  a  champion  of  Her 
culean  strength.  Here  too  hangs  a  portrait  which  has 
long  passed  for  that  of  the  unfortunate  Boabdil,  but 


THE  GENERALIFE  171 

which  is  said  to  be  that  of  Aben  Hud,  the  Moorish 
king  from  whom  descended  the  princes  of  Almeria. 
From  one  of  these  princes,  who  joined  the  standard 
of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella  towards  the  close  of  the 
Conquest,  and  was  christianized  by  the  name  of  Don 
Pedro  de  Granada  Venegas,  was  descended  the  present 
proprietor  of  the  palace,  the  Marquis  of  Campotejar. 
The  proprietor,  however,  dwells  in  a  foreign  land,  and 
the  palace  has  no  longer  a  princely  inhabitant. 

Yet  here  is  everything  to  delight  a  southern  volup 
tuary  :  fruits,  flowers,  fragrance,  green  arbors  and 
myrtle  hedges,  delicate  air  and  gushing  waters.  Here 
I  had  an  opportunity  of  witnessing  those  scenes  which 
painters  are  fond  of  depicting  about  southern  palaces 
and  gardens.  It  was  the  saint's  day  of  the  count's 
daughter,  and  she  had  brought  up  several  of  her  youth 
ful  companions  from  Granada,  to  sport  away  a  long 
summer's  day  among  the  breezy  halls  and  bowers  of 
the  Moorish  palaces.  A  visit  to  the  Generalife  was  the 
morning's  entertainment.  Here  some  of  the  gay  com 
pany  dispersed  itself  in  groups  about  the  green  walks, 
the  bright  fountains,  the  flights  of  Italian  steps,  the 
noble  terraces  and  marble  balustrades.  Others,  among 
whom  I  was  one,  took  their  seats  in  an  open  gallery 
or  colonnade  commanding  a  vast  prospect;  with  the 
Alhambra,  the  city,  and  the  Vega,  far  below,  and  the 
distant  horizon  of  mountains  —  a  dreamy  world,  all 
glimmering  to  the  eye  in  summer  sunshine.  While 
thus  seated,  the  all-pervading  tinkling  of  the  guitar  and 
click  of  the  castanets  came  stealing  up  from  the  valley 
of  the  Darro,  and  half-way  down  the  mountain  we 
descried  a  festive  party  under  the  trees,  enjoying  them 
selves  in  true  Andalusian  style;  some  lying  on  the 
grass,  others  dancing  to  the  music. 

All  these  sights  and  sounds,  together  with  the 
princely  seclusion  of  the  place,  the  sweet  quiet  which 
prevailed  around,  and  the  delicious  serenity  of  the 


172  THE  ALHAMBRA 

weather,  had  a  witching  effect  upon  the  mind,  and 
drew  from  some  of  the  company,  versed  in  local  story, 
several  of  the  popular  fancies  and  traditions  connected 
with  this  old  Moorish  palace ;  they  were  "  such  stuff 
as  dreams  are  made  of,"  but  out  of  them  I  have  shaped 
the  following  legend,  which  I  hope  may  have  the  good 
fortune  to  prove  acceptable  to  the  reader. 


LEGEND   OF   PRINCE  AHMED  AL 
KAMEL 

OR,   THE   PILGRIM   OF   LOVE 

THERE  was  once  a  Moorish  king  of  Granada,  who  had 
but  one  son,  whom  he  named  Ahmed,  to  which  his 
courtiers  added  the  surname  of  al  Kamel,  or  the  Per 
fect,  from  the  indubitable  signs  of  superexcellence 
which  they  perceived  in  him  in  his  very  infancy.  The 
astrologers  countenanced  them  in  their  foresight,  pre 
dicting  everything  in  his  favor  that  could  make  a 
perfect  prince  and  a  prosperous  sovereign.  One  cloud 
only  rested  upon  his  destiny,  and  even  that  was  of  a 
roseate  hue:  he  would  be  of  an  amorous  tempera 
ment,  and  run  great  perils  from  the  tender  passion. 
If,  however,  he  could  be  kept  from  the  allurements 
of  love  until  of  mature  age,  these  dangers  would  be 
averted,  and  his  life  thereafter  be  one  uninterrupted 
course  of  felicity. 

To  prevent  all  danger  of  the  kind,  the  king  wisely 
determined  to  rear  the  prince  in  a  seclusion  where  he 
should  never  see  a  female  face,  nor  hear  even  the 
name  of  love.  For  this  purpose  he  built  a  beautiful 
palace  on  the  brow  of  the  hill  above  the  Alhambra,  in 
the  midst  of  delightful  gardens,  but  surrounded  by 
lofty  walls,  being,  in  fact,  the  same  palace  known  at 


PRINCE  AHMED  AL  KAMEL         173 

the  present  day  by  the  name  of  the  Generalife.  In 
this  palace  the  youthful  prince  was  shut  up,  and  in 
trusted  to  the  guardianship  and  instruction  of  Eben 
Bonabben,  one  of  the  wisest  and  dryest  of  Arabian 
sages,  who  had  passed  the  greatest  part  of  his  life  in 
Egypt,  studying  hieroglyphics,  and  making  researches 
among  the  tombs  and  pyramids,  and  who  saw  more 
charms  in  an  Egyptian  mummy  than  in  the  most 
tempting  of  living  beauties.  The  sage  was  ordered 
to  instruct  the  prince  in  all  kinds  of  knowledge  but 
one,  —  he  was  to  be  kept  utterly  ignorant  of  love. 
"  Use  every  precaution  for  the  purpose  you  may  think 
proper,"  said  the  king,  "  but  remember,  O  Eben 
Bonabben,  if  my  son  learns  aught  of  that  forbidden 
knowledge  while  under  your  care,  your  head  shall 
answer  for  it."  A  withered  smile  came  over  the  dry 
visage  of  the  wise  Bonabben  at  the  menace.  "  Let 
your  majesty's  heart  be  as  easy  about  your  son,  as 
mine  is  about  my  head :  am  I  a  man  likely  to  give 
lessons  in  the  idle  passion?  " 

Under  the  vigilant  care  of  the  philosopher,  the 
prince  grew  up  in  the  seclusion  of  the  palace  and  its 
gardens.  He  had  black  slaves  to  attend  upon  him  — 
hideous  mutes  who  knew  nothing  of  love,  or  if  they 
did,  had  not  words  to  communicate  it.  His  mental 
endowments  were  the  peculiar  care  of  Eben  Bonabben, 
who  sought  to  initiate  him  into  the  abstruse  lore  of 
Egypt ;  but  in  this  the  prince  made  little  progress,  and 
it  was  soon  evident  that  he  had  no  turn  for  philosophy. 

He  was,  however,  amazingly  ductile  for  a  youthful 
prince,  ready  to  follow  any  advice,  and  always  guided 
by  the  last  counsellor.  He  suppressed  his  yawns,  and 
listened  patiently  to  the  long  and  learned  discourses 
of  Eben  Bonabben,  from  which  he  imbibed  a  smatter 
ing  of  various  kinds  of  knowledge,  and  thus  happily 
attained  his  twentieth  year,  a  miracle  of  princely  wis 
dom  —  but  totally  ignorant  of  love. 


174  THE  ALHAMBRA 

About  this  time,  however,  a  change  came  over  the 
conduct  of  the  prince.  He  completely  abandoned  his 
studies,  and  took  to  strolling  about  the  gardens,  and 
musing  by  the  side  of  the  fountains.  He  had  been 
taught  a  little  music  among  his  various  accomplish 
ments  ;  it  now  engrossed  a  great  part  of  his  time,  and 
a  turn  for  poetry  became  apparent.  The  sage  Eben 
Bonabben  took  the  alarm,  and  endeavored  to  work 
these  idle  humors  out  of  him  by  a  severe  course  of 
algebra;  but  the  prince  turned  from  it  with  distaste. 
"  I  cannot  endure  algebra,"  said  he ;  "  it  is  an  abomina 
tion  to  me.  I  want  something  that  speaks  more  to  the 
heart." 

The  sage  Eben  Bonabben  shook  his  dry  head  at  the 
words.  "  Here  is  an  end  to  philosophy,"  thought  he. 
"  The  prince  has  discovered  he  has  a  heart !  "  He 
now  kept  anxious  watch  upon  his  pupil,  and  saw  that 
the  latent  tenderness  of  his  nature  was  in  activity,  and 
only  wanted  an  object.  He  wandered  about  the  gar 
dens  of  the  Generalife  in  an  intoxication  of  feelings 
of  which  he  knew  not  the  cause.  Sometimes  he  would 
sit  plunged  in  a  delicious  reverie ;  then  he  would  seize 
his  lute  and  draw  from  it  the  most  touching  notes,  and 
then  throw  it  aside,  and  break  forth  into  sighs  and 
ejaculations. 

By  degrees  this  loving  disposition  began  to  extend 
to  inanimate  objects;  he  had  his  favorite  flowers, 
which  he  cherished  with  tender  assiduity;  then  he  be 
came  attached  to  various  trees,  and  there  was  one  in 
particular,  of  a  graceful  form  and  drooping  foliage, 
on  which  he  lavished  his  amorous  devotion,  carving 
his  name  on  its  bark,  hanging  garlands  on  its  branches, 
and  singing  couplets  in  its  praise,  to  the  accompani 
ment  of  his  lute. 

Eben  Bonabben  was  alarmed  at  this  excited  state  of 
his  pupil.  He  saw  him  on  the  very  brink  of  forbidden 
knowledge  —  the  least  hint  might  reveal  to  him  the 


PRINCE  AHMED  AL  KAMEL  175 

fatal  secret.  Trembling  for  the  safety  of  the  prince 
and  the  security  of  his  own  head,  he  hastened  to  draw 
him  from  the  seductions  of  the  garden,  and  shut  him 
up  in  the  highest  tower  of  the  Generalife.  It  contained 
beautiful  apartments,  and  commanded  an  almost 
boundless  prospect,  but  was  elevated  far  above  that 
atmosphere  of  sweets  and  those  witching  bowers  so 
dangerous  to  the  feelings  of  the  too  susceptible 
Ahmed. 

What  was  to  be  done,  however,  to  reconcile  him 
to  this  restraint  and  to  beguile  the  tedious  hours  ?  He 
had  exhausted  almost  all  kinds  of  agreeable  knowledge ; 
and  algebra  was  not  to  be  mentioned.  Fortunately 
Eben  Bonabben  had  been  instructed,  when  in  Egypt, 
in  the  language  of  birds  by  a  Jewish  Rabbin,  who  had 
received  it  in  lineal  transmission  from  Solomon  the 
Wise,  who  had  been  taught  it  by  the  queen  of  Sheba. 
At  the  very  mention  of  such  a  study,  the  eyes  of  the 
prince  sparkled  with  animation,  and  he  applied  himself 
to  it  with  such  avidity,  that  he  soon  became  as  great 
an  adept  as  his  master. 

The  tower  of  the  Generalife  was  no  longer  a  solitude ; 
he  had  companions  at  hand  with  whom  he  could  con 
verse.  The  first  acquaintance  he  formed  was  with  a 
hawk,  who  built  his  nest  in  a  crevice  of  the  lofty  battle 
ments,  whence  he  soared  far  and  wide  in  quest  of 
prey.  The  prince,  however,  found  little  to  like  or 
esteem  in  him.  He  was  a  mere  pirate  of  the  air, 
swaggering  and  boastful,  whose  talk  was  all  about 
rapine  and  carnage,  and  desperate  exploits. 

His  next  acquaintance  was  an  owl,  a  mighty  wise- 
looking  bird,  with  a  huge  head  and  staring  eyes,  who 
sat  blinking  and  goggling  all  day  in  a  hole  in  the  wall, 
but  roamed  forth  at  night.  He  had  great  pretensions 
to  wisdom,  talked  something  of  astrology  and  the 
moon,  and  hinted  at  the  dark  sciences;  he  was  griev 
ously  given  to  metaphysics,  and  the  prince  found  his 


176  THE  ALHAMBRA 

prosings  even  more  ponderous  than  those  of  the  sage 
Eben  Bonabben. 

Then  there  was  a  bat,  that  hung  all  day  by  his  heels 
in  the  dark  corner  of  a  vault,  but  sallied  out  in  slip 
shod  style  at  twilight.  He,  however,  had  but  twilight 
ideas  on  all  subjects,  derided  things  of  which  he  had 
taken  but  an  imperfect  view,  and  seemed  to  take  de 
light  in  nothing. 

Besides  these  there  was  a  swallow,  with  whom  the 
prince  was  at  first  much  taken.  He  was  a  smart  talker, 
but  restless,  bustling,  and  forever  on  the  wing;  seldom 
remaining  long  enough  for  any  continued  conversa 
tion.  He  turned  out  in  the  end  to  be  a  mere  smatterer, 
who  did  but  skim  over  the  surface  of  things,  pre 
tending  to  know  everything,  but  knowing  nothing 
thoroughly. 

These  were  the  only  feathered  associates  with  whom 
the  prince  had  any  opportunity  of  exercising  his  newly 
acquired  language;  the  tower  was  too  high  for  any 
other  birds  to  frequent  it.  He  soon  grew  weary  of  his 
new  acquaintances,  whose  conversation  spoke  so  little 
to  the  head  and  nothing  to  the  heart,  and  gradually 
relapsed  into  his  loneliness.  A  winter  passed  away, 
spring  opened  with  all  its  bloom  and  verdure  and 
breathing  sweetness,  and  the  happy  time  arrived  for 
birds  to  pair  and  build  their  nests.  Suddenly,  as  it 
were,  a  universal  burst  of  song  and  melody  broke 
forth  from  the  groves  and  gardens  of  the  Generalife, 
and  reached  the  prince  in  the  solitude  of  his  tower. 
From  every  side  he  heard  the  same  universal  theme  — 
love  —  love  —  love  —  chanted  forth,  and  responded 
to  it  in  every  variety  of  note  and  tone.  The  prince 
listened  in  silence  and  perplexity.  "  What  can  be  this 
love,"  thought  he,  "  of  which  the  world  seems  so  full, 
and  of  which  I  know  nothing?"  He  applied  for  in 
formation  to  his  friend  the  hawk.  The  ruffian  bird 
answered  in  a  tone  of  scorn:  "  You  must  apply,"  said 


PRINCE  AHMED  AL  KAMEL  177 

he,  "  to  the  vulgar  peaceable  birds  of  earth,  who  are 
made  for  the  prey  of  us  princes  of  the  air.  My  trade 
is  war,  and  fighting  my  delight.  I  am  a  warrior,  and 
know  nothing  of  this  thing  called  love." 

The  prince  turned  from  him  with  disgust,  and  sought 
the  owl  in  his  retreat.  "  This  is  a  bird,"  said  he,  "  of 
peaceful  habits,  and  may  be  able  to  solve  my  question." 
So  he  asked  the  owl  to  tell  him  what  was  this  love 
about  which  all  the  birds  in  the  groves  below  were 
singing. 

Upon  this  the  owl  put  on  a  look  of  offended  dignity. 
"  My  nights,"  said  he,  "  are  taken  up  in  study  and 
research,  and  my  days  in  ruminating  in  my  cell  upon 
all  that  I  have  learnt.  As  to  these  singing  birds  of 
whom  you  talk,  I  never  listen  to  them  —  I  despise 
them  and  their  themes.  Allah  be  praised,  I  cannot 
sing;  I  am  a  philosopher,  and  know  nothing  of  this 
thing  called  love." 

The  prince  now  repaired  to  the  vault,  where  his 
friend  the  bat  was  hanging  by  the  heels,  and  pro 
pounded  the  same  question.  The  bat  wrinkled  up  his 
nose  into  a  most  snappish  expression.  "  Why  do  you 
disturb  me  in  my  morning's  nap  with  such  an  idle 
question?"  said  he,  peevishly.  "I  only  fly  by  twi 
light,  when  all  birds  are  asleep,  and  never  trouble 
myself  with  their  concerns.  I  am  neither  bird  nor 
beast,  and  I  thank  heaven  for  it.  I  have  found  out 
the  villany  of  the  whole  of  them,  and  hate  them  one 
and  all.  In  a  word,  I  am  a  misanthrope  —  and  know 
nothing  of  this  thing  called  love." 

As  a  last  resort,  the  prince  now  sought  the  swallow, 
and  stopped  him  just  as  he  was  circling  about  the 
summit  of  the  tower.  The  swallow,  as  usual,  was  in 
a  prodigious  hurry,  and  had  scarce  time  to  make  a 
reply.  "  Upon  my  word,"  said  he,  "  I  have  so  much 
public  business  to  attend  to,  and  so  many  pursuits  to 
follow,  that  I  have  had  no  time  to  think  on  the  subject. 


1 78  THE  ALHAMBRA 

I  have  every  day  a  thousand  visits  to  pay ;  a  thousand 
affairs  of  importance  to  examine  into,  that  leave  me 
not  a  moment  of  leisure  for  these  little  sing-song 
matters.  In  a  word,  I  am  a  citizen  of  the  world  — 
I  know  nothing  of  this  thing  called  love."  So  saying, 
the  swallow  dived  into  the  valley,  and  was  out  of  sight 
in  a  moment. 

The  prince  remained  disappointed  and  perplexed, 
but  with  his  curiosity  still  more  piqued  by  the  difficulty 
of  gratifying  it.  While  in  this  mood,  his  ancient 
guardian  entered  the  tower.  The  prince  advanced 
eagerly  to  meet  him.  "  O  Eben  Bonabben,"  cried  he, 
"  thou  hast  revealed  to  me  much  of  the  wisdom  of 
the  earth;  but  there  is  one  thing  of  which  I  remain 
in  utter  ignorance,  and  would  fain  be  informed." 

"  My  prince  has  but  to  make  the  inquiry,  and  every 
thing  within  the  limited  range  of  his  servant's  intellect 
is  at  his  command." 

"  Tell  me  then,  O  most  profound  of  sages,  what  is 
the  nature  of  this  thing  called  love?" 

Eben  Bonabben  was  struck  as  with  a  thunderbolt. 
He  trembled  and  turned  pale,  and  felt  as  if  his  head 
sat  but  loosely  on  his  shoulders. 

"  What  could  suggest  such  a  question  to  my  prince, 
—  where  could  he  have  learnt  so  idle  a  word?  " 

The  prince  led  him  to  the  window  of  the  tower. 
"  Listen,  O  Eben  Bonabben,"  said  he.  The  sage  lis 
tened.  The  nightingale  sat  in  a  thicket  below  the 
tower,  singing  to  his  paramour  the  rose;  from  every 
blossomed  spray  and  tufted  grove  rose  a  strain  of 
melody ;  and  love  —  love  —  love  —  was  still  the  un 
varying  strain. 

"  Allah  Akbar !  God  is  great !  "  exclaimed  the  wise 
Bonabben.  "  Who  shall  pretend  to  keep  this  secret 
from  the  heart  of  man,  when  even  the  birds  of  the 
air  conspire  to  betray  it?  " 

Then  turning  to  Ahmed  —  "  O  my  prince,"   cried 


PRINCE  AHMED  AL  KAMEL          179 

he,  "  shut  thine  ears  to  these  seductive  strains.  Close 
thy  mind  against  this  dangerous  knowledge.  Know 
that  this  love  is  the  cause  of  half  the  ills  of  wretched 
mortality.  It  is  this  which  produces  bitterness  and 
strife  between  brethren  and  friends;  which  causes 
treacherous  murder  and  desolating  war.  Care  and 
sorrow,  weary  days  and  sleepless  nights,  are  its  at 
tendants.  It  withers  the  bloom  and  blights  the  joy  of 
youth,  and  brings  on  the  ills  and  griefs  of  premature 
old  age.  Allah  preserve  thee,  my  prince,  in  total  ig 
norance  of  this  thing  called  love!  " 

The  sage  Eben  Bonabben  hastily  retired,  leaving 
the  prince  plunged  in  still  deeper  perplexity.  It  was 
in  vain  he  attempted  to  dismiss  the  subject  from  his 
mind ;  it  still  continued  uppermost  in  his  thoughts, 
and  teased  and  exhausted  him  with  vain  conjectures. 
Surely,  said  he  to  himself,  as  he  listened  to  the  tuneful 
strains  of  the  birds,  there  is  no  sorrow  in  those  notes ; 
everything  seems  tenderness  and  joy.  If  love  be  a 
cause  of  such  wretchedness  and  strife,  why  are  not 
these  birds  drooping  in  solitude,  or  tearing  each  other 
in  pieces,  instead  of  fluttering  cheerfully  about  the 
groves,  or  sporting  with  each  other  among  flowers? 

He  lay  one  morning  on  his  couch,  meditating  on 
this  inexplicable  matter.  The  window  of  his  chamber 
was  open  to  admit  the  soft  morning  breeze,  which  came 
laden  with  the  perfume  of  orange-blossoms  from  the 
valley  of  the  Darro.  The  voice  of  the  nightingale 
was  faintly  heard,  still  chanting  the  wonted  theme. 
As  the  prince  was  listening  and  sighing,  there  was  a 
sudden  rushing  noise  in  the  air;  a  beautiful  dove, 
pursued  by  a  hawk,  darted  in  at  the  window,  and  fell 
panting  on  the  floor,  while  the  pursuer,  balked  of  his 
prey,  soared  off  to  the  mountains. 

The  prince  took  up  the  gasping  bird,  smoothed  its 
feathers,  and  nestled  it  in  his  bosom.  When  he  had 
soothed  it  by  his  caresses,  he  put  it  in  a  golden  cage, 


180  THE  ALHAMBRA 

and  offered  it,  with  his  own  hands,  the  whitest  and 
finest  of  wheat  and  the  purest  of  water.  The  bird, 
however,  refused  food,  and  sat  drooping  and  pining, 
and  uttering  piteous  moans. 

"What  aileth  thee?"  said  Ahmed.  "Hast  thou 
not  everything  thy  heart  can  wish  ?  " 

"  Alas,  no!  "  replied  the  dove;  "  am  I  not  separated 
from  the  partner  of  my  heart,  and  that  too  in  the  happy 
spring-time,  the  very  season  of  love !  " 

"  Of  love !  "  echoed  Ahmed.  "  I  pray  thee,  my 
pretty  bird,  canst  thou  then  tell  me  what  is  love?  " 

"  Too  well  can  I,  my  prince.  It  is  the  torment  of 
one,  the  felicity  of  two,  the  strife  and  enmity  of  three. 
It  is  a  charm  which  draws  two  beings  together,  and 
unites  them  by  delicious  sympathies,  making  it  happi 
ness  to  be  with  each  other,  but  misery  to  be  apart.  Is 
there  no  being  to  whom  you  are  drawn  by  these  ties 
of  tender  affection?" 

"  I  like  my  old  teacher  Eben  Bonabben  better  than 
any  other  being;  but  he  is  often  tedious,  and  I  occa 
sionally  feel  myself  happier  without  his  society." 

"  That  is  not  the  sympathy  I  mean.  I  speak  of  love, 
the  great  mystery  and  principle  of  life;  the  intoxica 
ting  revel  of  youth;  the  sober  delight  of  age.  Look 
forth,  my  prince,  and  behold  how  at  this  blest  season 
all  nature  is  full  of  love.  Every  created  being  has  its 
mate;  the  most  insignificant  bird  sings  to  its  para 
mour;  the  very  beetle  wooes  its  lady-beetle  in  the 
dust,  and  yon  butterflies  which  you  see  fluttering  high 
above  the  tower  and  toying  in  the  air,  are  happy  in 
each  other's  loves.  Alas,  my  prince!  hast  thou  spent 
so  many  of  the  precious  days  of  youth  without  know 
ing  anything  of  love?  Is  there  no  gentle  being  of 
another  sex  —  no  beautiful  princess  nor  lovely  damsel 
who  has  ensnared  your  heart,  and  filled  your  bosom 
with  a  soft  tumult  of  pleasing  pains  and  tender 
wishes  ?  " 


PRINCE  AHMED  AL  KAMEL  181 

"I  begin  to  understand,"  said  the  prince,  sighing; 
"  such  a  tumult  I  have  more  than  once  experienced, 
without  knowing  the  cause;  and  where  should  I  seek 
for  an  object  such  as  you  describe,  in  this  dismal 
solitude?  " 

A  little  further  conversation  ensued,  and  the  first 
amatory  lesson  of  the  prince  was  complete. 

"  Alas!  "  said  he,  "  if  love  be  indeed  such  a  delight, 
and  its  interruption  such  a  misery,  Allah  forbid  that 
I  should  mar  the  joy  of  any  of  its  votaries."  He 
opened  the  cage,  took  out  the  dove,  and  having  fondly 
kissed  it,  carried  it  to  the  window.  "  Go,  happy  bird," 
said  he,  "  rejoice  with  the  partner  of  thy  heart  in  the 
days  of  youth  and  spring-time.  Why  should  I  make 
thee  a  fellow-prisoner  in  this  dreary  tower,  where  love 
can  never  enter  ?  " 

The  dove  flapped  its  wings  in  rapture,  gave  one 
vault  into  the  air,  and  then  swooped  downward  on 
whistling  wings  to  the  blooming  bowers  of  the  Darro. 

The  prince  followed  him  with  his  eyes,  and  then 
gave  way  to  bitter  repining.  The  singing  of  the  birds, 
which  once  delighted  him,  now  added  to  his  bitterness. 
Love!  love!  love!  Alas,  poor  youth!  he  now  under 
stood  the  strain. 

His  eyes  flashed  fire  when  next  he  beheld  the  sage 
Bonabben.  "  Why  hast  thou  kept  me  in  this  abject 
ignorance?"  cried  he.  "Why  has  the  great  mystery 
and  principle  of  life  been  withheld  from  me,  in  which 
I  find  the  meanest  insect  is  so  learned?  Behold  all 
nature  is  in  a  revel  of  delight.  Every  created  being 
rejoices  with  its  mate.  This  —  this  is  the  love  about 
which  I  have  sought  instruction.  Why  am  I  alone 
debarred  its  enjoyment?  Why  has  so  much  of  my 
youth  been  wasted  without  a  knowledge  of  its 
raptures  ?  " 

The  sage  Bonabben  saw  that  all  further  reserve  was 
useless;  for  the  prince  had  acquired  the  dangerous 


182  THE  ALHAMBRA 

and  forbidden  knowledge.  He  revealed  to  him,  there 
fore,  the  predictions  of  the  astrologers,  and  the  pre 
cautions  that  had  been  taken  in  his  education  to  avert 
the  threatened  evils.  "  And  now,  my  prince,"  added 
he,  "  my  life  is  in  your  hands.  Let  the  king  your 
father  discover  that  you  have  learned  the  passion  of 
love  while  under  my  guardianship,  and  my  head  must 
answer  for  it." 

The  prince  was  as  reasonable  as  most  young  men 
of  his  age,  and  easily  listened  to  the  remonstrances  of 
his  tutor,  since  nothing  pleaded  against  them.  Besides, 
he  really  was  attached  to  Eben  Bonabben,  and  being 
as  yet  but  theoretically  acquainted  with  the  passion  of 
love,  he  consented  to  confine  the  knowledge  of  it  to 
his  own  bosom,  rather  than  endanger  the  head  of  the 
philosopher. 

His  discretion  was  doomed,  however,  to  be  put  to 
still  further  proofs.  A  few  mornings  afterwards,  as 
he  was  ruminating  on  the  battlements  of  the  tower, 
the  dove  which  had  been  released  by  him  came  hover 
ing  in  the  air,  and  alighted  fearlessly  upon  his  shoulder. 

The  prince  fondled  it  to  his  heart.  "  Happy  bird," 
said  he,  "  who  can  fly,  as  it  were,  with  the  wings  of  the 
morning  to  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth.  Where 
hast  thou  been  since  we  parted  ?  " 

"  In  a  far  country,  my  prince,  whence  I  bring  you 
tidings  in  reward  for  my  liberty.  In  the  wild  compass 
of  my  flight,  which  extends  over  plain  and  mountain, 
as  I  was  soaring  in  the  air,  I  beheld  below  me  a  de 
lightful  garden  with  all  kinds  of  fruits  and  flowers. 
It  was  in  a  green  meadow,  on  the  banks  of  a  wander 
ing  stream;  and  in  the  centre  of  the  garden  was  a 
stately  palace.  I  alighted  in  one  of  the  bowers  to 
repose  after  my  weary  flight.  On  the  green  bank 
below  me  was  a  youthful  princess,  in  the  very  sweet 
ness  and  bloom  of  her  years.  She  was  surrounded 
by  female  attendants,  young  like  herself,  who  decked 


PRINCE  AHMED  AL  KAMEL  183 

her  with  garlands  and  coronets  of  flowers ;  but  no 
flower  of  field  or  garden  could  compare  with  her  for 
loveliness.  Here,  however,  she  bloomed  in  secret,  for 
the  garden  was  surrounded  by  high  walls,  and  no 
mortal  man  was  permitted  to  enter.  When  I  beheld 
this  beauteous  maid,  thus  young  and  innocent  and 
unspotted  by  the  world,  I  thought,  here  is  the  being 
formed  by  heaven  to  inspire  my  prince  with  love." 

The  description  was  a  spark  of  fire  to  the  com 
bustible  heart  of  Ahmed;  all  the  latent  amorousness 
of  his  temperament  had  at  once  found  an  object,  and 
he  conceived  an  immeasurable  passion  for  the  princess. 
He  wrote  a  letter,  couched  in  the  most  impassioned 
language,  breathing  his  fervent  devotion,  but  bewail 
ing  the  unhappy  thraldom  of  his  person,  which  pre 
vented  him  from  seeking  her  out  and  throwing  himself 
at  her  feet.  He  added  couplets  of  the  most  tender  and 
moving  eloquence,  for  he  was  a  poet  by  nature,  and 
inspired  by  love.  He  addressed  his  letter  —  "  To  the 
Unknown  Beauty,  from  the  captive  Prince  Ahmed  " ; 
then  perfuming  it  with  musk  and  roses,  he  gave  it  to 
the  dove. 

"Away,  trustiest  of  messengers!"  said  he.  "Fly 
over  mountain,  and  valley,  and  river,  and  plain;  rest 
not  in  bower,  nor  set  foot  on  earth,  until  thou  hast 
given  this  letter  to  the  mistress  of  my  heart." 

The  dove  soared  high  in  air,  and  taking  his  course 
darted  away  in  one  undeviating  direction.  The  prince 
followed  him  with  his  eye  until  he  was  a  mere  speck 
on  a  cloud,  and  gradually  disappeared  behind  a 
mountain. 

Day  after  day  he  watched  for  the  return  of  the 
messenger  of  love,  but  he  watched  in  vain.  He  began 
to  accuse  him  of  forgetfulness,  when  towards  sunset 
one  evening  the  faithful  bird  fluttered  into  his  apart 
ment,  and  falling  at  his  feet  expired.  The  arrow  of 
some  wanton  archer  had  pierced  his  breast,  yet  he  had 


184  THE  ALHAMBRA 

struggled  with  the  lingerings  of  life  to  execute  his 
mission.  As  the  prince  bent  with  grief  over  this  gentle 
martyr  to  fidelity,  he  beheld  a  chain  of  pearls  round 
his  neck,  attached  to  which,  beneath  his  wing,  was  a 
small  enamelled  picture.  It  represented  a  lovely  prin 
cess  in  the  very  flower  of  her  years.  It  was  doubtless 
the  unknown  beauty  of  the  garden;  but  who  and 
where  was  she  ?  —  how  had  she  received  his  letter  ? 
and  was  this  picture  sent  as  a  token  of  her  approval 
of  his  passion?  Unfortunately  the  death  of  the  faith 
ful  dove  left  everything  in  mystery  and  doubt. 

The  prince  gazed  on  the  picture  till  his  eyes  swam 
with  tears.  He  pressed  it  to  his  lips  and  to  his  heart ;  he 
sat  for  hours  contemplating  it  almost  in  an  agony  of 
tenderness.  "Beautiful  image!"  said  he,  "alas,  thou 
art  but  an  image!  Yet  thy  dewy  eyes  beam  tenderly 
upon  me;  those  rosy  lips  look  as  though  they  would 
speak  encouragement:  vain  fancies!  Have  they  not 
looked  the  same  on  some  more  happy  rival?  But 
where  in  this  wide  world  shall  I  hope  to  find  the 
original?  Who  knows  what  mountains,  what  realms 
may  separate  us;  what  adverse  chances  may  inter 
vene?  Perhaps  now,  even  now,  lovers  may  be  crowd 
ing  around  her,  while  I  sit  here  a  prisoner  in  a  tower, 
wasting  my  time  in  adoration  of  a  painted  shadow." 

The  resolution  of  Prince  Ahmed  was  taken.  "  I  will 
fly  from  this  palace,"  said  he,  "  which  has  become  an 
odious  prison ;  and,  a  pilgrim  of  love,  will  seek  this 
unknown  princess  throughout  the  world."  To  escape 
from  the  tower  in  the  day,  when  every  one  was  awake, 
might  be  a  difficult  matter ;  but  at  night  the  palace  was 
slightly  guarded;  for  no  one  apprehended  any  at 
tempt  of  the  kind  from  the  prince,  who  had  always 
been  so  passive  in  his  captivity.  How  was  he  to  guide 
himself,  however,  in  his  darkling  flight,  being  ignorant 
of  the  country?  He  bethought  him  of  the  owl,  who 
was  accustomed  to  roam  at  night,  and  must  know 


PRINCE  AHMED  AL  KAMEL          185 

every  by-lane  and  secret  pass.  Seeking  him  in  his 
hermitage,  he  questioned  him  touching  his  knowledge 
of  the  land.  Upon  this  the  owl  put  on  a  mighty  self- 
important  look.  "  You  must  know,  O  prince,"  said 
he,  "  that  we  owls  are  of  a  very  ancient  and  extensive 
family,  though  rather  fallen  to  decay,  and  possess 
ruinous  castles  and  palaces  in  all  parts  of  Spain.  There 
is  scarcely  a  tower  of  the  mountains,  or  a  fortress  of 
the  plains,  or  an  old  citadel  of  a  city,  but  has  some 
brother,  or  uncle,  or  cousin,  quartered  in  it;  and  in 
going  the  rounds  to  visit  this  my  numerous  kindred, 
I  have  pried  into  every  nook  and  corner,  and  made 
myself  acquainted  with  every  secret  of  the  land." 

The  prince  was  overjoyed  to  find  the  owl  so  deeply 
versed  in  topography,  and  now  informed  him,  in  con 
fidence,  of  his  tender  passion  and  his  intended  elope 
ment,  urging  him  to  be  his  companion  and  counsellor. 

"  Go  to!  "  said  the  owl,  with  a  look  of  displeasure; 
"am  I  a  bird  to  engage  in  a  love-affair?  —  I,  whose 
whole  time  is  devoted  to  meditation  and  the  moon?  " 

"  Be  not  offended,  most  solemn  owl,"  replied  the 
prince;  "abstract  thyself  for  a  time  from  meditation 
and  the  moon,  and  aid  me  in  my  flight,  and  thou  shalt 
have  whatever  heart  can  wish." 

"  I  have  that  already,"  said  the  owl :  "  a  few  mice 
are  sufficient  for  my  frugal  table,  and  this  hole  in  the 
wall  is  spacious  enough  for  my  studies;  and  what 
more  does  a  philosopher  like  myself  desire?  " 

"  Bethink  thee,  most  wise  owl,  that  while  moping 
in  thy  cell  and  gazing  at  the  moon,  all  thy  talents  are 
lost  to  the  world.  I  shall  one  day  be  a  sovereign  prince, 
and  may  advance  thee  to  some  post  of  honor  and 
dignity." 

The  owl,  though  a  philosopher  and  above  the  ordi 
nary  wants  of  life,  was  not  above  ambition;  so  he 
was  finally  prevailed  on  to  elope  with  the  prince,  and 
be  his  guide  and  mentor  in  his  pilgrimage. 


186  THE  ALHAMBRA 

The  plans  of  a  lover  are  promptly  executed.  The 
prince  collected  all  his  jewels,  and  concealed  them 
about  his  person  as  travelling  funds.  That  very  night 
he  lowered  himself  by  his  scarf  from  a  balcony  of  the 
tower,  clambered  over  the  outer  walls  of  the  Gen- 
eralife,  and,  guided  by  the  owl,  made  good  his  escape 
before  morning  to  the  mountains. 

He  now  held  a  council  with  his  mentor  as  to  his 
future  course. 

"  Might  I  advise,"  said  the  owl,  "  I  would  recom 
mend  you  to  repair  to  Seville.  You  must  know  that 
many  years  since  I  was  on  a  visit  to  an  uncle,  an  owl 
of  great  dignity  and  power,  who  lived  in  a  ruined 
wing  of  the  Alcazar  of  that  place.  In  my  hoverings 
at  night  over  the  city  I  frequently  remarked  a  light 
burning  in  a  lonely  tower.  At  length  I  alighted  on 
the  battlements,  and  found  it  to  proceed  from  the  lamp 
of  an  Arabian  magician :  he  was  surrounded  by  his 
magic  books,  and  on  his  shoulder  was  perched  his 
familiar,  an  ancient  raven  who  had  come  with  him 
from  Egypt.  I  am  acquainted  with  that  raven,  and 
owe  to  him  a  great  part  of  the  knowledge  I  possess. 
The  magician  is  since  dead,  but  the  raven  still  in 
habits  the  tower,  for  these  birds  are  of  wonderful 
long  life.  I  would  advise  you,  O  prince,  to  seek  that 
raven,  for  he  is  a  soothsayer  and  a  conjurer,  and  deals 
in  the  black  art,  for  which  all  ravens,  and  especially 
those  of  Egypt,  are  renowned." 

The  prince  was  struck  with  the  wisdom  of  this  ad 
vice,  and  accordingly  bent  his  course  towards  Seville. 
He  travelled  only  in  the  night,  to  accommodate  his 
companion,  and  lay  by  during  the  day  in  some  dark 
cavern  or  mouldering  watch-tower,  for  the  owl  knew 
every  hiding-hole  of  the  kind,  and  had  a  most  anti 
quarian  taste  for  ruins. 

At  length  one  morning  at  daybreak  they  reached  the 
city  of  Seville,  where  the  owl,  who  hated  the  glare  and 


PRINCE  AHMED  AL  KAMEL          187 

bustle  of  crowded  streets,  halted  without  the  gate,  and 
took  up  his  quarters  in  a  hollow  tree. 

The  prince  entered  the  gate,  and  readily  found  the 
magic  tower,  which  rose  above  the  houses  of  the  city, 
as  a  palm-tree  rises  above  the  shrubs  of  the  desert; 
it  was  in  fact  the  same  tower  standing  at  the  present 
day,  and  known  as  the  Giralda,  the  famous  Moorish 
tower  of  Seville. 

The  prince  ascended  by  a  great  winding  staircase 
to  the  summit  of  the  tower,  where  he  found  the  caba 
listic  raven,  —  an  old,  mysterious,  gray-headed  bird, 
ragged  in  feather,  with  a  film  over  one  eye  that  gave 
him  the  glare  of  a  spectre.  He  was  perched  on  one 
leg,  with  his  head  turned  on  one  side,  poring  with 
his  remaining  eye  on  a  diagram  described  on  the 
pavement. 

The  prince  approached  him  with  the  awe  and  rever 
ence  naturally  inspired  by  his  venerable  appearance 
and  supernatural  wisdom.  "  Pardon  me,  most  ancient 
and  darkly  wise  raven,"  exclaimed  he,  "  if  for  a  mo 
ment  I  interrupt  those  studies  which  are  the  wonder 
of  the  world.  You  behold  before  you  a  votary  of  love, 
who  would  fain  seek  your  counsel  how  to  obtain  the 
object  of  his  passion." 

"  In  other  words,"  said  the  raven,  with  a  significant 
look,  "  you  seek  to  try  my  skill  in  palmistry.  Come, 
show  me  your  hand,  and  let  me  decipher  the  mysteri 
ous  lines  of  fortune." 

"  Excuse  me,"  said  the  prince,  "  I  come  not  to  pry 
into  the  decrees  of  fate,  which  are  hidden  by  Allah 
from  the  eyes  of  mortals ;  I  am  a  pilgrim  of  love,  and 
seek  but  to  find  a  clue  to  the  object  of  my  pilgrimage." 

"  And  can  you  be  at  any  loss  for  an  object  in  amo 
rous  Andalusia?  "  said  the  old  raven,  leering  upon  him 
with  his  single  eye ;  "  above  all,  can  you  be  at  a  loss 
in  wanton  Seville,  where  black-eyed  damsels  dance 
the  zambra  under  every  orange  grove?" 


i88  THE  ALHAMBRA 

The  prince  blushed,  and  was  somewhat  shocked  at 
hearing  an  old  bird  with  one  foot  in  the  grave  talk 
thus  loosely.  "  Believe  me,"  said  he,  gravely,  "  I  am 
on  none  such  light  and  vagrant  errand  as  thou  dost 
insinuate.  The  black-eyed  damsels  of  Andalusia  who 
dance  among  the  orange  groves  of  the  Guadalquivir 
are  as  naught  to  me.  I  seek  one  unknown  but  im 
maculate  beauty,  the  original  of  this  picture ;  and  I 
beseech  thee,  most  potent  raven,  if  it  be  within  the 
scope  of  thy  knowledge  or  the  reach  of  thy  art,  inform 
me  where  she  may  be  found." 

The  gray-headed  raven  was  rebuked  by  the  gravity 
of  the  prince. 

"  What  know  I,"  replied  he,  dryly,  "  of  youth  and 
beauty  ?  my  visits  are  to  the  old  and  withered,  not  the 
fresh  and  fair :  the  harbinger  of  fate  am  I ;  who  croak 
bodings  of  death  from  the  chimney-top,  and  flap  my 
wings  at  the  sick  man's  window.  You  must  seek  else 
where  for  tidings  of  your  unknown  beauty." 

"  And  where  can  I  seek  if  not  among  the  sons  of 
wisdom,  versed  in  the  book  of  destiny?  Know  that 
I  am  a  royal  prince,  fated  by  the  stars,  and  sent  on  a 
mysterious  enterprise  on  which  may  hang  the  destiny 
of  empires." 

When  the  raven  heard  that  it  was  a  matter  of  vast 
moment,  in  which  the  stars  took  interest,  he  changed 
his  tone  and  manner,  and  listened  with  profound  atten 
tion  to  the  story  of  the  prince.  When  it  was  concluded, 
he  replied,  "  Touching  this  princess,  I  can  give  thee  no 
information  of  myself,  for  my  flight  is  not  among 
gardens,  or  around  ladies'  bowers;  but  hie  thee  to 
Cordova,  seek  the  palm-tree  of  the  great  Abderahman, 
which  stands  in  the  court  of  the  principal  mosque :  at 
the  foot  of  it  thou  wilt  find  a  great  traveller  who  has 
visited  all  countries  and  courts,  and  been  a  favorite 
with  queens  and  princesses.  He  will  give  thee  tidings 
of  the  object  of  thy  search." 


PRINCE  AHMED  AL  KAMEL  189 

"  Many  thanks  for  this  precious  information,"  said 
the  prince.  "  Farewell,  most  venerable  conjurer." 

"  Farewell,  pilgrim  of  love,"  said  the  raven,  dryly, 
and  again  fell  to  pondering  on  the  diagram. 

The  prince  sallied  forth  from  Seville,  sought  his 
fellow-traveller  the  owl,  who  was  still  dozing  in  the 
hollow  tree,  and  set  off  for  Cordova. 

He  approached  it  along  hanging  gardens,  and  orange 
and  citron  groves,  overlooking  the  fair  valley  of  the 
Guadalquivir.  When  arrived  at  its  gates  the  owl  flew 
up  to  a  dark  hole  in  the  wall,  and  the  prince  proceeded 
in  quest  of  the  palm-tree  planted  in  days  of  yore  by 
the  great  Abderahman.  It  stood  in  the  midst  of  the 
great  court  of  the  mosque,  towering  from  amidst 
orange  and  cypress  trees.  Dervises  and  Faquirs  were 
seated  in  groups  under  the  cloisters  of  the  court,  and 
many  of  the  faithful  were  performing  their  ablutions 
at  the  fountains  before  entering  the  mosque. 

At  the  foot  of  the  palm-tree  was  a  crowd  listening 
to  the  words  of  one  who  appeared  to  be  talking  with 
great  volubility.  "  This,"  said  the  prince  to  himself, 
"  must  be  the  great  traveller  who  is  to  give  me  tidings 
of  the  unknown  princess."  He  mingled  in  the  crowd, 
but  was  astonished  to  perceive  that  they  were  all  listen 
ing  to  a  parrot,  who  with  his  bright-green  coat,  prag 
matical  eye,  and  consequential  top-knot,  had  the  air 
of  a  bird  on  excellent  terms  with  himself. 

"  How  is  this,"  said  the  prince  to  one  of  the  by 
standers,  "  that  so  many  grave  persons  can  be  delighted 
with  the  garrulity  of  a  chattering  bird  ?  " 

"  You  know  not  whom  you  speak  of,"  said  the  other; 
"  this  parrot  is  a  descendant  of  the  famous  parrot  of 
Persia,  renowned  for  his  story-telling  talent.  He  has 
all  the  learning  of  the  East  at  the  tip  of  his  tongue, 
and  can  quote  poetry  as  fast  as  he  can  talk.  He  has 
visited  various  foreign  courts,  where  he  has  been  con 
sidered  an  oracle  of  erudition.  He  has  been  a  uni- 


190  THE  ALHAMBRA 

versal  favorite  also  with  the  fair  sex,  who  have  a  vast 
admiration  for  erudite  parrots  that  can  quote  poetry." 

"  Enough,"  said  the  prince,  "  I  will  have  some  pri 
vate  talk  with  this  distinguished  traveller." 

He  sought  a  private  interview,  and  expounded  the 
nature  of  his  errand.  He  had  scarcely  mentioned  it 
when  the  parrot  burst  into  a  fit  of  dry  rickety  laughter, 
that  absolutely  brought  tears  into  his  eyes.  "  Excuse 
my  merriment,"  said  he,  "  but  the  mere  mention  of 
love  always  sets  me  laughing." 

The  prince  was  shocked  at  this  ill-timed  mirth.  "  Is 
not  love,"  said  he,  "  the  great  mystery  of  nature,  the  se 
cret  principle  of  life,  the  universal  bond  of  sympathy  ?  " 

"  A  fig's  end !  "  cried  the  parrot,  interrupting  him ; 
"  prithee  where  hast  thou  learned  this  sentimental 
jargon?  trust  me,  love  is  quite  out  of  vogue;  one 
never  hears  of  it  in  the  company  of  wits  and  people  of 
refinement." 

The  prince  sighed  as  he  recalled  the  different  lan 
guage  of  his  friend  the  dove.  But  this  parrot,  thought 
he,  has  lived  about  the  court,  he  affects  the  wit  and 
the  fine  gentleman,  he  knows  nothing  of  the  thing 
called  love.  Unwilling  to  provoke  any  more  ridicule 
of  the  sentiment  which  filled  his  heart,  he  now  directed 
his  inquiries  to  the  immediate  purport  of  his  visit. 

"  Tell  me,"  said  he,  "  most  accomplished  parrot, 
thou  who  hast  everywhere  been  admitted  to  the  most 
secret  bowers  of  beauty,  hast  thou  in  the  course  of  thy 
travels  met  with  the  original  of  this  portrait?  " 

The  parrot  took  the  picture  in  his  claw,  turned  his 
head  from  side  to  side,  and  examined  it  curiously  with 
either  eye.  "  Upon  my  honor,"  said  he,  "  a  very  pretty 
face,  very  pretty ;  but  then  one  sees  so  many  pretty 
women  in  one's  travels  that  one  can  hardly  —  but  hold 
—  bless  me !  now  I  look  at  it  again  —  sure  enough, 
this  is  the  Princess  Aldegonda :  how  could  I  forget 
one  that  is  so  prodigious  a  favorite  with  me !  " 


PRINCE  AHMED  AL  KAMEL  191 

"  The  Princess  Aldegonda !  "  echoed  the  prince ; 
"  and  where  is  she  to  be  found?  " 

"  Softly,  softly,"  said  the  parrot,  "  easier  to  be 
found  than  gained.  She  is  the  only  daughter  of  the 
Christian  king  who  reigns  at  Toledo,  and  is  shut  up 
from  the  world  until  her  seventeenth  birthday,  on  ac 
count  of  some  prediction  of  those  meddlesome  fellows 
the  astrologers.  You  '11  not  get  a  sight  of  her ;  no 
mortal  man  can  see  her.  I  was  admitted  to  her  pres 
ence  to  entertain  her,  and  I  assure  you,  on  the  word 
of  a  parrot  who  has  seen  the  world,  I  have  conversed 
with  much  sillier  princesses  in  my  time." 

"  A  word  in  confidence,  my  dear  parrot,"  said  the 
prince.  "  I  am  heir  to  a  kingdom,  and  shall  one  day 
sit  upon  a  throne.  I  see  that  you  are  a  bird  of  parts, 
and  understand  the  world.  Help  me  to  gain  posses 
sion  of  this  princess,  and  I  will  advance  you  to  some 
distinguished  place  about  court." 

"With  all  my  heart,"  said  the  parrot;  "but  let  it 
be  a  sinecure  if  possible,  for  we  wits  have  a  great 
dislike  to  labor." 

Arrangements  were  promptly  made :  the  prince 
sallied  forth  from  Cordova  through  the  same  gate  by 
which  he  had  entered ;  called  the  owl  down  from  the 
hole  in  the  wall,  introduced  him  to  his  new  travelling 
companion  as  a  brother  savant,  and  away  they  set  off 
on  their  journey. 

They  travelled  much  more  slowly  than  accorded 
with  the  impatience  of  the  prince;  but  the  parrot  was 
accustomed  to  high  life,  and  did  not  like  to  be  disturbed 
early  in  the  morning.  The  owl,  on  the  other  hand, 
was  for  sleeping  at  mid-day,  and  lost  a  great  deal  of 
time  by  his  long  siestas.  His  antiquarian  taste  also 
was  in  the  way;  for  he  insisted  on  pausing  and  in 
specting  every  ruin,  and  had  long  legendary  tales  to 
tell  about  every  old  tower  and  castle  in  the  country. 
The  prince  had  supposed  that  he  and  the  parrot,  being 


192  THE  ALHAMBRA 

both  birds  of  learning,  would  delight  in  each  other's 
society,  but  never  had  he  been  more  mistaken.  They 
were  eternally  bickering.  The  one  was  a  wit,  the  other 
a  philosopher.  The  parrot  quoted  poetry,  was  critical 
on  new  readings  and  eloquent  on  small  points  of  eru 
dition;  the  owl  treated  all  such  knowledge  as  trifling, 
and  relished  nothing  but  metaphysics.  Then  the  parrot 
would  sing  songs  and  repeat  bon  mots  and  crack  jokes 
upon  his  solemn  neighbor,  and  laugh  outrageously  at 
his  own  wit ;  all  which  proceedings  the  owl  considered 
as  a  grievous  invasion  of  his  dignity,  and  would  scowl 
and  sulk  and  swell,  and  be  silent  for  a  whole  day 
together. 

The  prince  heeded  not  the  wranglings  of  his  com 
panions,  being  wrapped  up  in  the  dreams  of  his  own 
fancy  and  the  contemplation  of  the  portrait  of  the 
beautiful  princess.  In  this  way  they  journeyed  through 
the  stern  passes  of  the  Sierra  Morena,  across  the  sun 
burnt  plains  of  La  Mancha  and  Castile,  and  along 
the  banks  of  the  "  Golden  Tagus,"  which  winds  its 
wizard  mazes  over  one  half  of  Spain  and  Portugal. 
At  length  they  came  in  sight  of  a  strong  city  with  walls 
and  towers  built  on  a  rocky  promontory,  round  the 
foot  of  which  the  Tagus  circled  with  brawling  violence. 

"  Behold,"  exclaimed  the  owl,  "  the  ancient  and  re 
nowned  city  of  Toledo ;  a  city  famous  for  its  antiqui 
ties.  Behold  those  venerable  domes  and  towers,  hoary 
with  time  and  clothed  with  legendary  grandeur,  in 
which  so  many  of  my  ancestors  have  meditated." 

"  Pish !  "  cried  the  parrot,  interrupting  his  solemn 
antiquarian  rapture,  "  what  have  we  to  do  with  an 
tiquities,  and  legends,  and  your  ancestry?  Behold 
what  is  more  to  the  purpose  —  behold  the  abode  of 
youth  and  beauty  —  behold  at  length,  O  prince,  the 
abode  of  your  long-sought  princess." 

The  prince  looked  in  the  direction  indicated  by  the 
parrot,  and  beheld,  in  a  delightful  green  meadow  on 


PRINCE  AHMED  AL  KAMEL  193 

the  banks  of  the  Tagus,  a  stately  palace  rising  from 
amidst  the  bowers  of  a  delicious  garden.  It  was  just 
such  a  place  as  had  been  described  by  the  dove  as  the 
residence  of  the  original  of  the  picture.  He  gazed  at 
it  with  a  throbbing  heart ;  "  perhaps  at  this  moment," 
thought  he,  "  the  beautiful  princess  is  sporting  be 
neath  those  shady  bowers,  or  pacing  with  delicate  step 
those  stately  terraces,  or  reposing  beneath  those  lofty 
roofs !  "  As  he  looked  more  narrowly,  he  perceived 
that  the  walls  of  the  garden  were  of  great  height,  so 
as  to  defy  access,  while  numbers  of  armed  guards 
patrolled  around  them. 

The  prince  turned  to  the  parrot.  "  O  most  accom 
plished  of  birds,"  said  he,  "  thou  hast  the  gift  of  human 
speech.  Hie  thee  to  yon  garden ;  seek  the  idol  of  my 
soul,  and  tell  her  that  Prince  Ahmed,  a  pilgrim  of 
love,  and  guided  by  the  stars,  has  arrived  in  quest  of 
her  on  the  flowery  banks  of  the  Tagus." 

The  parrot,  proud  of  his  embassy,  flew  away  to  the 
garden,  mounted  above  its  lofty  walls,  and  after  soar 
ing  for  a  time  over  the  lawns  and  groves,  alighted  on 
the  balcony  of  a  pavilion  that  overhung  the  river. 
Here,  looking  in  at  the  casement,  he  beheld  the  princess 
reclining  on  a  couch,  with  her  eyes  fixed  on  a  paper, 
\vhile  tears  gently  stole  after  each  other  down  her 
pallid  cheek. 

Pluming  his  wings  for  a  moment,  adjusting  his 
bright-green  coat,  and  elevating  his  top-knot,  the  par 
rot  perched  himself  beside  her  with  a  gallant  air; 
then  assuming  a  tenderness  of  tone,  "  Dry  thy  tears, 
most  beautiful  of  princesses,"  said  he;  "I  come  to 
bring  solace  to  thy  heart." 

The  princess  was  startled  on  hearing  a  voice,  but 
turning  and  seeing  nothing  but  a  little  green-coated 
bird  bobbing  and  bowing  before  her,  "  Alas !  what 
solace  canst  thou  yield,"  said  she,  "  seeing  thou  art  but 
a  parrot  ?  " 

13 


194  THE  ALHAMBRA 

The  parrot  was  nettled  at  the  question.  "  I  have 
consoled  many  beautiful  ladies  in  my  time,"  said  he; 
"  but  let  that  pass.  At  present  I  come  ambassador 
from  a  royal  prince.  Know  that  Ahmed,  the  prince 
of  Granada,  has  arrived  in  quest  of  thee,  and  is  en 
camped  even  now  on  the  flowery  banks  of  the  Tagus." 

The  eyes  of  the  beautiful  princess  sparkled  at  these 
words  even  brighter  than  the  diamonds  in  her  coronet. 
"  O  sweetest  of  parrots,"  cried  she,  "  joyful  indeed 
are  thy  tidings,  for  I  was  faint  and  weary,  and  sick 
almost  unto  death  with  doubt  of  the  constancy  of 
Ahmed.  Hie  thee  back,  and  tell  him  that  the  words 
of  his  letter  are  engraven  in  my  heart,  and  his  poetry 
has  been  the  food  of  my  soul.  Tell  him,  however, 
that  he  must  prepare  to  prove  his  love  by  force  of 
arms;  to-morrow  is  my  seventeenth  birthday,  when 
the  king  my  father  holds  a  great  tournament ;  several 
princes  are  to  enter  the  lists,  and  my  hand  is  to  be  the 
prize  of  the  victor." 

The  parrot  again  took  wing,  and  rustling  through 
the  groves,  flew  back  to  where  the  prince  awaited  his 
return.  The  rapture  of  Ahmed  on  finding  the  original 
of  his  adored  portrait,  and  finding  her  kind  and  true, 
can  only  be  conceived  by  those  favored  mortals  who 
have  had  the  good  fortune  to  realize  day-dreams  and 
turn  a  shadow  into  substance :  still  there  was  one  thing 
that  alloyed  his  transport  —  this  impending  tourna 
ment.  In  fact,  the  banks  of  the  Tagus  were  already 
glittering  with  arms,  and  resounding  with  trumpets 
of  the  various  knights,  who,  with  proud  retinues,  were 
prancing  on  towards  Toledo  to  attend  the  ceremonial, 
the  same  star  that  had  controlled  the  destiny  of  the 
prince  had  governed  that  of  the  princess,  and  until 
her  seventeenth  birthday  she  had  been  shut  up  from 
the  world,  to  guard  her  from  the  tender  passion.  The 
fame  of  her  charms,  however,  had  been  enhanced 
rather  than  obscured  by  this  seclusion.  Several  pow- 


PRINCE  AHMED  AL  KAMEL  195 

erful  princes  had  contended  for  her  hand;  and  her 
father,  who  was  a  king  of  wondrous  shrewdness,  to 
avoid  making  enemies  by  showing  partiality,  had  re 
ferred  them  to  the  arbitrament  of  arms.  Among  the 
rival  candidates  were  several  renowned  for  strength 
and  prowess.  What  a  predicament  for  the  unfor 
tunate  Ahmed,  unprovided  as  he  was  with  weapons, 
and  unskilled  in  the  exercise  of  chivalry !  "  Luckless 
prince  that  I  am !  "  said  he,  "  to  have  been  brought  up 
in  seclusion  under  the  eye  of  a  philosopher !  Of  what 
avail  are  algebra  and  philosophy  in  affairs  of  love? 
Alas,  Eben  Bonabben!  why  hast  thou  neglected  to 
instruct  me  in  the  management  of  arms?  "  Upon  this 
the  owl  broke  silence,  preluding  his  harangue  with  a 
pious  ejaculation,  for  he  was  a  devout  Mussulman. 

"  Allah  Akbar !  God  is  great !  "  exclaimed  he ;  "  in 
his  hands  are  all  secret  things  —  he  alone  governs  the 
destiny  of  princes!  Know,  O  prince,  that  this  land  is 
full  of  mysteries,  hidden  from  all  but  those  who,  like 
myself,  can  grope  after  knowledge  in  the  dark.  Know 
that  in  the  neighboring  mountains  there  is  a  cave,  and 
in  that  cave  there  is  an  iron  table,  and  on  that  table 
there  lies  a  suit  of  magic  armor,  and  beside  that  table 
there  stands  a  spell-bound  steed,  which  have  been  shut 
up  there  for  many  generations." 

The  prince  stared  with  wonder,  while  the  owl, 
blinking  his  huge  round  eyes,  and  erecting  his  horns, 
proceeded. 

"  Many  years  since  I  accompanied  my  father  to 
these  parts  on  a  tour  of  his  estates,  and  we  sojourned 
in  that  cave;  and  thus  became  I  acquainted  with  the 
mystery.  It  is  a  tradition  in  our  family  which  I  have 
heard  from  my  grandfather,  when  I  was  yet  but  a  very 
little  owlet,  that  this  armor  belonged  to  a  Moorish 
magician,  who  took  refuge  in  this  cavern  when  Toledo 
was  captured  by  the  Christians,  and  died  here,  leav 
ing  his  steed  and  weapons  under  a  mystic  spell,  never 


196  THE  ALHAMBRA 

to  be  used  but  by  a  Moslem,  and  by  him  only  from 
sunrise  to  mid-day.  In  that  interval,  whoever  uses 
them  will  overthrow  every  opponent." 

"  Enough :  let  us  seek  this  cave ! "  exclaimed 
Ahmed. 

Guided  by  his  legendary  mentor,  the  prince  found 
the  cavern,  which  was  in  one  of  the  wildest  recesses 
of  those  rocky  cliffs  which  rise  around  Toledo;  none 
but  the  mousing  eye  of  an  owl  or  an  antiquary  could 
have  discovered  the  entrance  to  it.  A  sepulchral  lamp 
of  everlasting  oil  shed  a  solemn  light  through  the 
place.  On  an  iron  table  in  the  centre  of  the  cavern 
lay  the  magic  armor,  against  it  leaned  the  lance,  and 
beside  it  stood  an  Arabian  steed,  caparisoned  for  the 
field,  but  motionless  as  a  statue.  The  armor  was  bright 
and  unsullied  as  it  had  gleamed  in  days  of  old;  the 
steed  in  as  good  condition  as  if  just  from  the  pasture ; 
and  when  Ahmed  laid  his  hand  upon  his  neck,  he 
pawed  the  ground  and  gave  a  loud  neigh  of  joy  that 
shook  the  walls  of  the  cavern.  Thus  amply  provided 
with  "  horse  and  rider  and  weapon  to  wear,"  the 
prince  determined  to  defy  the  field  in  the  impending 
tourney. 

The  eventful  morning  arrived.  The  lists  for  the 
combat  were  prepared  in  the  Vega,  or  plain,  just  below 
the  cliff-built  walls  of  Toledo,  where  stages  and  gal 
leries  were  erected  for  the  spectators,  covered  with 
rich  tapestry,  and  sheltered  from  the  sun  by  silken  awn 
ings.  All  the  beauties  of  the  land  were  assembled  in 
those  galleries,  while  below  pranced  plumed  knights 
with  their  pages  and  esquires,  among  whom  figured 
conspicuously  the  princes  who  were  to  contend  in  the 
tourney.  All  the  beauties  of  the  land,  however,  were 
eclipsed  when  the  Princess  Aldegonda  appeared  in  the 
royal  pavilion,  and  for  the  first  time  broke  forth  upon 
the  gaze  of  an  admiring  world.  A  murmur  of  wonder 
ran  through  the  crowd  at  her  transcendent  loveliness; 


PRINCE  AHMED  AL  KAMEL  197 

and  the  princes  who  were  candidates  for  her  hand, 
merely  on  the  faith  of  her  reported  charms,  now  felt 
tenfold  ardor  for  the  conflict. 

The  princess,  however,  had  a  troubled  look.  The 
color  came  and  went  from  her  cheek,  and  her  eye 
wandered  with  a  restless  and  unsatisfied  expression 
over  the  plumed  throng  of  knights.  The  trumpets 
were  about  sounding  for  the  encounter,  when  the 
herald  announced  the  arrival  of  a  strange  knight ;  and 
Ahmed  rode  into  the  field.  A  steel  helmet  studded 
with  gems  rose  above  his  turban;  his  cuirass  was  em 
bossed  with  gold ;  his  cimeter  and  dagger  were  of  the 
workmanship  of  Fez,  and  flamed  with  precious  stones. 
A  round  shield  was  at  his  shoulder,  and  in  his  hand  he 
bore  the  lance  of  charmed  virtue.  The  caparison  of 
his  Arabian  steed  was  richly  embroidered  and  swept 
the  ground,  and  the  proud  animal  pranced  and  snuffed 
the  air,  and  neighed  with  joy  at  once  more  beholding 
the  array  of  arms.  The  lofty  and  graceful  demeanor 
of  the  prince  struck  every  eye,  and  when  his  appella 
tion  \vas  announced,  "  The  Pilgrim  of  Love,"  a  uni 
versal  flutter  and  agitation  prevailed  among  the  fair 
dames  in  the  galleries. 

When  Ahmed  presented  himself  at  the  lists,  how 
ever,  they  were  closed  against  him :  none  but  princes, 
he  was  told,  were  admitted  to  the  contest.  He  de 
clared  his  name  and  rank.  Still  worse !  —  he  was  a 
Moslem,  and  could  not  engage  in  a  tourney  where  the 
hand  of  a  Christian  princess  was  the  prize. 

The  rival  princes  surrounded  him  with  haughty  and 
menacing  aspects ;  and  one  of  insolent  demeanor  and 
herculean  frame  sneered  at  his  light  and  youthful 
form,  and  scoffed  at  his  amorous  appellation.  The 
ire  of  the  prince  was  roused.  He  defied  his  rival  to 
the  encounter.  They  took  distance,  wheeled,  and 
charged ;  and  at  the  first  touch  of  the  magic  lance, 
the  brawny  scoffer  was  tilted  from  his  saddle.  Here 


198  THE  ALHAMBRA 

the  prince  would  have  paused,  but,  alas!  he  had  to 
deal  with  a  demoniac  horse  and  armor ;  once  in  action, 
nothing  could  control  them.  The  Arabian  steed 
charged  into  the  thickest  of  the  throng;  the  lance 
overturned  everything  that  presented;  the  gentle 
prince  was  carried  pell-mell  about  the  field,  strewing 
it  with  high  and  low,  gentle  and  simple,  and  grieving 
at  his  own  involuntary  exploits.  The  king  stormed 
and  raged  at  this  outrage  on  his  subjects  and  his  guests. 
He  ordered  out  all  his  guards  —  they  were  unhorsed 
as  fast  as  they  came  up.  The  king  threw  off  his  robes, 
grasped  buckler  and  lance,  and  rode  forth  to  awe  the 
stranger  with  the  presence  of  majesty  itself.  Alas! 
majesty  fared  no  better  than  the  vulgar;  the  steed 
and  lance  were  no  respecters  of  persons ;  to  the  dismay 
of  Ahmed,  he  was  borne  full  tilt  against  the  king,  and 
in  a  moment  the  royal  heels  were  in  the  air,  and  the 
crown  was  rolling  in  the  dust. 

At  this  moment  the  sun  reached  the  meridian;  the 
magic  spell  resumed  its  power;  the  Arabian  steed 
scoured  across  the  plain,  leaped  the  barrier,  plunged 
into  the  Tagus,  swam  its  raging  current,  bore  the 
prince  breathless  and  amazed  to  the  cavern,  and  re 
sumed  his  station,  like  a  statue,  beside  the  iron  table. 
The  prince  dismounted  right  gladly,  and  replaced  the 
armor,  to  abide  the  further  decrees  of  fate.  Then 
seating  himself  in  the  cavern,  he  ruminated  on  the 
desperate  state  to  which  this  demoniac  steed  and  armor 
had  reduced  him.  Never  should  he  dare  to  show  his 
face  at  Toledo  after  inflicting  such  disgrace  upon  its 
chivalry  and  such  an  outrage  on  its  king.  What  too 
would  the  princess  think  of  so  rude  and  riotous  an 
achievement?  Full  of  anxiety,  he  sent  forth  his 
winged  messengers  to  gather  tidings.  The  parrot  re 
sorted  to  all  the  public  places  and  crowded  resorts  of 
the  city,  and  soon  returned  with  a  world  of  gossip. 
All  Toledo  was  in  consternation.  The  princess  had 


PRINCE  AHMED  AL  KAMEL         199 

been  borne  off  senseless  to  the  palace ;  the  tournament 
had  ended  in  confusion;  every  one  was  talking  of 
the  sudden  apparition,  prodigious  exploits,  and  strange 
disappearance  of  the  Moslem  knight.  Some  pro 
nounced  him  a  Moorish  magician ;  others  thought  him 
a  demon  who  had  assumed  a  human  shape,  while  others 
related  traditions  of  enchanted  warriors  hidden  in 
the  caves  of  the  mountains,  and  thought  it  might  be 
one  of  these,  who  had  made  a  sudden  irruption  from 
his  den.  All  agreed  that  no  mere  ordinary  mortal 
could  have  wrought  such  wonders,  or  unhorsed  such 
accomplished  and  stalwart  Christian  warriors. 

The  owl  flew  forth  at  night  and  hovered  about  the 
dusky  city,  perching  on  the  roofs  and  chimneys.  He 
then  wheeled  his  flight  up  to  the  royal  palace,  which 
stood  on  a  rocky  summit  of  Toledo,  and  went  prowl 
ing  about  its  terraces  and  battlements,  eavesdropping 
at  every  cranny,  and  glaring  in  with  his  big  goggling 
eyes  at  every  window  where  there  was  a  light,  so  as 
to  throw  two  or  three  maids  of  honor  into  fits.  It 
was  not  until  the  gray  dawn  began  to  peer  above  the 
mountains  that  he  returned  from  his  mousing  expe 
dition,  and  related  to  the  prince  what  he  had  seen. 

"  As  I  was  prying  about  one  of  the  loftiest  towers 
of  the  palace,"  said  he,  "  I  beheld  through  a  casement 
a  beautiful  princess.  She  was  reclining  on  a  couch 
with  attendants  and  physicians  around  her,  but  she 
would  none  of  their  ministry  and  relief.  When  they 
retired,  I  beheld  her  draw  forth  a  letter  from  her 
bosom,  and  read  and  kiss  it,  and  give  way  to  loud 
lamentations;  at  which,  philosopher  as  I  am,  I  could 
but  be  greatly  moved." 

The  tender  heart  of  Ahmed  was  distressed  at  these 
tidings.  "  Too  true  were  thy  words,  O  sage  Eben 
Bonabben,"  cried  he ;  "  care  and  sorrow  and  sleepless 
nights  are  the  lot  of  lovers.  Allah  preserve  the  princess 
from  the  blighting  influence  of  this  thing  called  love!  " 


200  THE  ALHAMBRA 

Further  intelligence  from  Toledo  corroborated  the 
report  of  the  owl.  The  city  was  a  prey  to  uneasiness 
and  alarm.  The  princess  was  conveyed  to  the  highest 
tower  of  the  palace,  every  avenue  to  which  was 
strongly  guarded.  In  the  mean  time  a  devouring  mel 
ancholy  had  seized  upon  her,  of  which  no  one  could 
divine  the  cause  —  she  refused  food  and  turned  a  deaf 
ear  to  every  consolation.  The  most  skilful  physicians 
had  essayed  their  art  in  vain;  it  was  thought  some 
magic  spell  had  been  practised  upon  her,  and  the  king 
made  proclamation,  declaring  that  whoever  should 
effect  her  cure  should  receive  the  richest  jewel  in  the 
royal  treasury. 

When  the  owl,  who  was  dozing  in  a  corner,  heard 
of  this  proclamation,  he  rolled  his  large  eyes  and 
looked  more  mysterious  than  ever. 

"  Allah  Akbar !  "  exclaimed  he,  "  happy  the  man 
that  shall  effect  that  cure,  should  he  but  know  what 
to  choose  from  the  royal  treasury." 

"  What  mean  you,  most  reverend  owl  ? "  said 
Ahmed. 

"  Hearken,  O  prince,  to  what  I  shall  relate.  We 
owls,  you  must  know,  are  a  learned  body,  and  much 
given  to  dark  and  dusty  research.  During  my  late 
prowling  at  night  about  the  domes  and  turrets  of 
Toledo,  I  discovered  a  college  of  antiquarian  owls, 
who  hold  their  meetings  in  a  great  vaulted  tower 
where  the  royal  treasury  is  deposited.  Here  they  \vere 
discussing  the  forms  and  inscriptions  and  designs  of 
ancient  gems  and  jewels,  and  of  golden  and  silver 
vessels,  heaped  up  in  the  treasury,  the  fashion  of 
every  country  and  age;  but  mostly  they  were  inter 
ested  about  certain  relics  and  talismans  that  have  re 
mained  in  the  treasury  since  the  time  of  Roderick  the 
Goth.  Among  these  was  a  box  of  sandal-wood  se 
cured  by  bands  of  steel  of  Oriental  workmanship,  and 
inscribed  with  mystic  characters  known  only  to  the 


PRINCE  AHMED  AL  KAMEL         201 

learned  few.  This  box  and  its  inscription  had  occu 
pied  the  college  for  several  sessions,  and  had  caused 
much  long  and  grave  dispute.  At  the  time  of  my  visit 
a  very  ancient  owl,  who  had  recently  arrived  from 
Egypt,  was  seated  on  the  lid  of  the  box,  lecturing  upon 
the  inscription,  and  he  proved  from  it  that  the  coffer 
contained  the  silken  carpet  of  the  throne  of  Solomon 
the  Wise;  which  doubtless  had  been  brought  to  Toledo 
by  the  Jews  who  took  refuge  there  after  the  downfall 
of  Jerusalem." 

When  the  owl  had  concluded  his  antiquarian  ha 
rangue,  the  prince  remained  for  a  time  absorbed  in 
thought.  "  I  have  heard,"  said  he,  "  from  the  sage 
Eben  Bonabben,  of  the  wonderful  properties  of  that 
talisman,  which  disappeared  at  the  fall  of  Jerusalem, 
and  was  supposed  to  be  lost  to  mankind.  Doubtless 
it  remains  a  sealed  mystery  to  the  Christians  of  Toledo. 
If  I  can  get  possession  of  that  carpet,  my  fortune  is 
secure." 

The  next  day  the  prince  laid  aside  his  rich  attire, 
and  arrayed  himself  in  the  simple  garb  of  an  Arab  of 
the  desert.  He  dyed  his  complexion  to  a  tawny  hue, 
and  no  one  could  have  recognized  in  him  the  splendid 
warrior  who  had  caused  such  admiration  and  dismay 
at  the  tournament.  With  staff  in  hand,  and  scrip 
by  his  side,  and  a  small  pastoral  reed,  he  repaired  to 
Toledo,  and  presenting  himself  at  the  gate  of  the  royal 
palace,  announced  himself  as  a  candidate  for  the  re 
ward  offered  for  the  cure  of  the  princess.  The  guards 
would  have  driven  him  away  with  blows.  "  What  can 
a  vagrant  Arab  like  thyself  pretend  to  do,"  said  they, 
"  in  a  case  where  the  most  learned  of  the  land  have 
failed  ?  "  The  king,  however,  overheard  the  tumult, 
and  ordered  the  Arab  to  be  brought  into  his  presence. 

"  Most  potent  king,"  said  Ahmed,  "  you  behold 
before  you  a  Bedouin  Arab,  the  greater  part  of  whose 
life  has  been  passed  in  the  solitudes  of  the  desert. 


202  THE  ALHAMBRA 

These  solitudes,  it  is  well  known,  are  the  haunts  of 
demons  and  evil  spirits,  who  beset  us  poor  shepherds 
in  our  lonely  watchings,  enter  into  and  possess  our 
flocks  and  herds,  and  sometimes  render  even  the  pa 
tient  camel  furious;  against  these,  our  counter-charm 
is  music;  and  we  have  legendary  airs  handed  down 
from  generation  to  generation,  that  we  chant  and  pipe, 
to  cast  forth  these  evil  spirits.  I  am  of  a  gifted  line, 
and  possess  this  power  in  its  fullest  force.  If  it  be 
any  evil  influence  of  the  kind  that  holds  a  spell  over 
thy  daughter,  I  pledge  my  head  to  free  her  from  its 
sway." 

The  king,  who  was  a  man  of  understanding,  and 
knew  the  wonderful  secrets  possessed  by  the  Arabs, 
was  inspired  with  hope  by  the  confident  language  of 
the  prince.  He  conducted  him  immediately  to  the 
lofty  tower,  secured  by  several  doors,  in  the  summit 
of  which  was  the  chamber  of  the  princess.  The  win 
dows  opened  upon  a  terrace  with  balustrades,  com 
manding  a  view  over  Toledo  and  all  the  surrounding 
country.  The  windows  were  darkened,  for  the  prin 
cess  lay  within,  a  prey  to  a  devouring  grief  that  refused 
all  alleviation. 

The  prince  seated  himself  on  the  terrace,  and  per 
formed  several  wild  Arabian  airs  on  his  pastoral  pipe, 
which  he  had  learnt  from  his  attendants  in  the  Gen- 
eralife  at  Granada.  The  princess  continued  insensible, 
and  the  doctors  who  were  present  shook  their  heads, 
and  smiled  with  incredulity  and  contempt:  at  length 
the  prince  laid  aside  the  reed,  and,  to  a  simple  melody, 
chanted  the  amatory  verses  of  the  letter  which  had 
declared  his  passion. 

The  princess  recognized  the  strain  —  a  fluttering 
joy  stole  to  her  heart ;  she  raised  her  head  and  listened ; 
tears  rushed  to  her  eyes  and  streamed  down  her  cheeks ; 
her  bosom  rose  and  fell  with  a  tumult  of  emotions. 
She  would  have  asked  for  the  minstrel  to  be  brought 


PRINCE  AHMED  AL  KAMEL         203 

into  her  presence,  but  maiden  coyness  held  her  silent. 
The  king  read  her  wishes,  and  at  his  command  Ahmed 
was  conducted  into  the  chamber.  The  lovers  were 
discreet:  they  but  exchanged  glances,  yet  those 
glances  spoke  volumes.  Never  was  triumph  of  music 
more  complete.  The  rose  had  returned  to  the  soft 
cheek  of  the  princess,  the  freshness  to  her  lip,  and 
the  dewy  light  to  her  languishing  eyes. 

All  the  physicians  present  stared  at  each  other  with 
astonishment.  The  king  regarded  the  Arab  minstrel 
with  admiration  mixed  with  awe.  "  Wonderful 
youth !  "  exclaimed  he,  "  thou  shalt  henceforth  be  the 
first  physician  of  my  court,  and  no  other  prescription 
will  I  take  but  thy  melody.  For  the  present  receive 
thy  reward,  the  most  precious  jewel  in  my  treasury." 

"  O  king,"  replied  Ahmed,  "  I  care  not  for  silver 
or  gold  or  precious  stones.  One  relic  hast  thou  in 
thy  treasury,  handed  down  from  the  Moslems  who 
once  owned  Toledo  —  a  box  of  sandal-wood  contain 
ing  a  silken  carpet:  give  me  that  box,  and  I  am 
content." 

All  present  were  surprised  at  the  moderation  of 
the  Arab,  and  still  more  when  the  box  of  sandal-wood 
was  brought  and  the  carpet  drawn  forth.  It  was  of 
fine  green  silk,  covered  with  Hebrew  and  Chaldaic 
characters.  The  court  physicians  looked  at  each  other, 
shrugged  their  shoulders,  and  smiled  at  the  simplicity 
of  this  new  practitioner,  who  could  be  content  with  so 
paltry  a  fee. 

"This  carpet,"  said  the  prince,  "once  covered  the 
throne  of  Solomon  the  Wise;  it  is  worthy  of  being 
placed  beneath  the  feet  of  beauty." 

So  saying,  he  spread  it  on  the  terrace  beneath  an 
ottoman  that  had  been  brought  forth  for  the  princess ; 
then  seating  himself  at  her  feet  — 

"  Who,"  said  he,  "  shall  counteract  what  is  written 
in  the  book  of  fate?  Behold  the  prediction  of  the 


204  THE  ALHAMBRA 

astrologers  verified.  Know,  O  king,  that  your  daugh 
ter  and  I  have  long  loved  each  other  in  secret.  Behold 
in  me  the  Pilgrim  of  Love!  " 

These  words  were  scarcely  from  his  lips  when  the 
carpet  rose  in  the  air,  bearing  off  the  prince  and 
princess.  The  king  and  the  physicians  gazed  after 
it  with  open  mouths  and  straining  eyes  until  it  became 
a  little  speck  on  the  white  bosom  of  a  cloud,  and  then 
disappeared  in  the  blue  vault  of  heaven. 

The  king  in  a  rage  summoned  his  treasurer.  "  How 
is  this,"  said  he,  "  that  thou  hast  suffered  an  infidel 
to  get  possession  of  such  a  talisman?" 

"Alas,  sir,  we  knew  not  its  nature,  nor  could  we 
decipher  the  inscription  of  the  box.  If  it  be  indeed  the 
carpet  of  the  throne  of  the  wise  Solomon,  it  is  pos 
sessed  of  magic  power,  and  can  transport  its  owner 
from  place  to  place  through  the  air." 

The  king  assembled  a  mighty  army,  and  set  off  for 
Granada  in  pursuit  of  the  fugitives.  His  march  was 
long  and  toilsome.  Encamping  in  the  Vega,  he  sent 
a  herald  to  demand  restitution  of  his  daughter.  The 
king  himself  came  forth  with  all  his  court  to  meet 
him.  In  the  king  he  beheld  the  real  minstrel,  for 
Ahmed  had  succeeded  to  the  throne  on  the  death  of 
his  father,  and  the  beautiful  Aldegonda  was  his 
sultana. 

The  Christian  king  was  easily  pacified  when  he 
found  that  his  daughter  was  suffered  to  continue  in 
her  faith;  not  that  he  was  particularly  pious,  but 
religion  is  always  a  point  of  pride  and  etiquette  with 
princes.  Instead  of  bloody  battles,  there  was  a  suc 
cession  of  feasts  and  rejoicings,  after  which  the  king 
returned  well  pleased  to  Toledo,  and  the  youthful 
couple  continued  to  reign  as  happily  as  wisely,  in  the 
Alhambra. 

It  is  proper  to  add,  that  the  owl  and  the  parrot  had 
severally  followed  the  prince  by  easy  stages  to  Gra- 


A  RAMBLE  AMONG  THE  HILLS       205 

nada;  the  former  travelling  by  night,  and  stopping  at 
the  various  hereditary  possessions  of  his  family;  the 
latter  figuring  in  gay  circles  of  every  town  and  city 
on  his  route. 

Ahmed  gratefully  requited  the  services  which  they 
had  rendered  on  his  pilgrimage.  He  appointed  the 
owl  his  prime  minister,  the  parrot  his  master  of  cere 
monies.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  never  was  a  realm 
more  sagely  administered,  nor  a  court  conducted  with 
more  exact  punctilio. 


A   RAMBLE   AMONG   THE   HILLS 

I  USED  frequently  to  amuse  myself  towards  the  close 
of  the  day,  when  the  heat  had  subsided,  with  taking 
long  rambles  about  the  neighboring  Kills  and  the  deep 
umbrageous  valleys,  accompanied  by  my  historiographic 
squire,  Mateo,  to  whose  passion  for  gossiping  I  on 
such  occasions  gave  the  most  unbounded  license;  and 
there  was  scarce  a  rock,  or  ruin,  or  broken  fountain, 
or  lonely  glen,  about  which  he  had  not  some  marvel 
lous  story ;  or,  above  all,  some  golden  legend ;  for 
never  was  poor  devil  so  munificent  in  dispensing  hidden 
treasures. 

In  the  course  of  one  of  these  strolls  Mateo  was 
more  than  usually  communicative.  It  was  toward 
sunset  that  we  sallied  forth  from  the  great  Gate  of 
Justice,  and  ascended  an  alley  of  trees  until  we  came 
to  a  clump  of  figs  and  pomegranates  at  the  foot  of  the 
Tower  of  the  Seven  Floors  (de  los  siete  suelos),  the 
identical  tower  whence  Boabdil  is  said  to  have  issued, 
when  he  surrendered  his  capital.  Here,  pointing  to  a 
low  archway  in  the  foundation,  Mateo  informed  me  of 
a  monstrous  sprite  or  hobgoblin,  said  to  infest  this 
tower,  ever  since  the  time  of  the  Moors,  and  to  guard 


206  THE  ALHAMBRA 

the  treasures  of  a  Moslem  king.  Sometimes  it  issues 
forth  in  the  dead  of  the  night,  and  scours  the  avenues 
of  the  Alhambra,  and  the  streets  of  Granada,  in  the 
shape  of  a  headless  horse,  pursued  by  six  dogs  with 
terrible  yells  and  howlings. 

"  But  have  you  ever  met  with  it  yourself,  Mateo, 
in  any  of  your  rambles?"  demanded  I. 

"  No,  Senor,  God  be  thanked !  but  my  grandfather, 
the  tailor,  knew  several  persons  that  had  seen  it,  for  it 
went  about  much  oftener  in  his  time  than  at  present ; 
sometimes  in  one  shape,  sometimes  in  another.  Every 
body  in  Granada  has  heard  of  the  Belludo,  for  the  old 
women  and  the  nurses  frighten  the  children  with  it 
when  they  cry.  Some  say  it  is  the  spirit  of  a  cruel 
Moorish  king,  who  killed  his  six  sons  and  buried  them 
in  these  vaults,  and  that  they  hunt  him  at  nights  in 
revenge." 

I  forbear  to  dwell  upon  the  marvellous  details  given 
by  the  simple-minded  Mateo  about  this  redoubtable 
phantom,  which  has,  in  fact,  been  time  out  of  mind  a 
favorite  theme  of  nursery  tales  and  popular  tradition 
in  Granada,  and  of  which  honorable  mention  is  made 
by  an  ancient  and  learned  historian  and  topographer 
of  the  place. 

Leaving  this  eventful  pile,  we  continued  our  course, 
skirting  the  fruitful  orchards  of  the  Generalife,  in 
which  two  or  three  nightingales  were  pouring  forth 
a  rich  strain  of  melody.  Behind  these  orchards  we 
passed  a  number  of  Moorish  tanks,  with  a  door  cut 
into  the  rocky  bosom  of  the  hill,  but  closed  up.  These 
tanks,  Mateo  informed  me,  were  favorite  bathing- 
places  of  himself  and  his  comrades  in  boyhood,  until 
frightened  away  by  a  story  of  a  hideous  Moor,  who 
used  to  issue  forth  from  the  door  in  the  rock  to  entrap 
unwary  bathers. 

Leaving  these  haunted  tanks  behind  us,  we  pursued 
our  ramble  up  a  solitary  mule-path  winding  among 


A  RAMBLE  AMONG  THE  HILLS       207 

the  hills,  and  soon  found  ourselves  amidst  wild  and 
melancholy  mountains,  destitute  of  trees,  and  here 
and  there  tinted  with  scanty  verdure.  Everything 
within  sight  was  severe  and  sterile,  and  it  was  scarcely 
possible  to  realize  the  idea  that  but  a  short  distance 
behind  us  was  the  Generalife,  with  its  blooming 
orchards  and  terraced  gardens,  and  that  we  were  in 
the  vicinity  of  delicious  Granada,  that  city  of  groves 
and  fountains.  But  such  is  the  nature  of  Spain ;  wild 
and  stern  the  moment  it  escapes  from  cultivation ;  the 
desert  and  the  garden  are  ever  side  by  side. 

The  narrow  defile  up  which  we  were  passing  is 
called,  according  to  Mateo,  el  Barranco  de  la  tinaja, 
or  the  ravine  of  the  jar,  because  a  jar  full  of  Moorish 
gold  was  found  here  in  old  times.  The  brain  of  poor 
Mateo  was  continually  running  upon  these  golden 
legends. 

"  But  what  is  the  meaning  of  the  cross  I  see  yonder 
upon  a  heap  of  stones,  in  that  narrow  part  of  the 
ravine?" 

"  Oh,  that 's  nothing  —  a  muleteer  was  murdered 
there  some  years  since." 

"  So  then,  Mateo,  you  have  robbers  and  murderers 
even  at  the  gates  of  the  Alhambra?" 

"Not  at  present,  Senor;  that  was  formerly,  when 
there  used  to  be  many  loose  fellows  about  the  fortress ; 
but  they  've  all  been  weeded  out.  Not  but  that  the 
gypsies  who  live  in  caves  in  the  hill-sides,  just  out  of 
the  fortress,  are  many  of  them  fit  for  anything;  but 
we  have  had  no  murder  about  here  for  a  long  time  past. 
The  man  who  murdered  the  muleteer  was  hanged  in 
the  fortress." 

Our  path  continued  up  the  barranco,  with  a  bold, 
rugged  height  to  our  left,  called  the  "  Silla  del  Moro," 
or  Chair  of  the  Moor,  from  the  tradition  already  al 
luded  to,  that  the  unfortunate  Boabdil  fled  thither  dur 
ing  a  popular  insurrection,  and  remained  all  day  seated 


208  THE  ALHAMBRA 

on  the  rocky  summit,  looking  mournfully  down  on  his 
factious  city. 

We  at  length  arrived  on  the  highest  part  of  the 
promontory  above  Granada,  called  the  mountain  of 
the  sun.  The  evening  was  approaching;  the  setting 
sun  just  gilded  the  loftiest  heights.  Here  and  there  a 
solitary  shepherd  might  be  descried  driving  his  flock 
down  the  declivities,  to  be  folded  for  the  night;  or  a 
muleteer  and  his  lagging  animals,  threading  some 
mountain  path  to  arrive  at  the  city  gates  before 
nightfall. 

Presently  the  deep  tones  of  the  Cathedral  bell  came 
swelling  up  the  defiles,  proclaiming  the  hour  of  "  ora 
tion  "  or  prayer.  The  note  was  responded  to  from 
the  belfry  of  every  church,  and  from  the  sweet 
bells  of  the  convents  among  the  mountains.  The 
shepherd  paused  on  the  fold  of  the  hill,  the  mule 
teer  in  the  midst  of  the  road ;  each  took  off  his  hat  and 
remained  motionless  for  a  time,  murmuring  his  even 
ing  prayer.  There  is  always  something  pleasingly 
solemn  in  this  custom,  by  which,  at  a  melodious  signal, 
every  human  being  throughout  the  land  unites  at  the 
same  moment  in  a  tribute  of  thanks  to  God  for  the 
mercies  of  the  day.  It  spreads  a  transient  sanctity 
over  the  land,  and  the  sight  of  the  sun  sinking  in  all 
his  glory  adds  not  a  little  to  the  solemnity  of  the 
scene. 

In  the  present  instance  the  effect  was  heightened 
by  the  wild  and  lonely  nature  of  the  place.  We  were 
on  the  naked  and  broken  summit  of  the  haunted 
mountain  of  the  sun,  where  ruined  tanks  and  cisterns, 
and  the  mouldering  foundations  of  extensive  buildings, 
spoke  of  former  populousness,  but  where  all  was  now 
silent  and  desolate. 

As  we  were  wandering  about  among  these  traces  of 
old  times,  we  came  to  a  circular  pit,  penetrating  deep 
into  the  bosom  of  the  mountain ;  which  Mateo  pointed 


A  RAMBLE  AMONG  THE  HILLS       209 

out  as  one  of  the  wonders  and  mysteries  of  the  place. 
I  supposed  it  to  be  a  well  dug  by  the  indefatigable 
Moors,  to  obtain  their  favorite  element  in  its  greatest 
purity.  Mateo,  however,  had  a  different  story,  and 
one  much  more  to  his  humor.  According  to  a  tradi 
tion,  in  which  his  father  and  grandfather  firmly  be 
lieved,  this  was  an  entrance  to  the  subterranean  cav 
erns  of  the  mountain,  in  which  Boabdil  and  his  court 
lay  bound  in  magic  spell,  and  whence  they  sallied  forth 
at  night,  at  allotted  times,  to  revisit  their  ancient 
abodes. 

"  Ah,  Senor,  this  mountain  is  full  of  wonders  of 
the  kind.  In  another  place  there  was  a  hole  somewhat 
like  this,  and  just  within  it  hung  an  iron  pot  by  a  chain ; 
nobody  knew  what  was  in  that  pot,  for  it  was  always 
covered  up ;  but  everybody  supposed  it  full  of  Moorish 
gold.  Many  tried  to  draw  it  forth,  for  it  seemed  just 
within  reach ;  but  the  moment  it  was  touched  it  would 
sink  far,  far  down,  and  not  come  up  again  for  some 
time.  At  last  one  who  thought  it  must  be  enchanted 
touched  it  with  the  cross,  by  way  of  breaking  the 
charm ;  and  faith  he  did  break  it,  for  the  pot  sank  out 
of  sight  and  never  was  seen  any  more. 

"All  this  is  fact,  Senor;  for  my  grandfather  was 
an  eye-witness." 

"  What!   Mateo;   did  he  see  the  pot?" 

"  No,  Senor,  but  he  saw  the  hole  where  the  pot  had 
hung." 

"  It 's  the  same  thing,  Mateo." 

The  deepening  twilight,  which  in  this  climate  is  of 
short  duration,  admonished  us  to  leave  this  haunted 
ground.  As  we  descended  the  mountain  defile,  there 
was  no  longer  herdsman  nor  muleteer  to  be  seen,  nor 
anything  to  be  heard  but  our  own  footsteps  and  the 
lonely  chirping  of  the  cricket.  The  shadows  of  the 
valley  grew  deeper  and  deeper,  until  all  was  dark 
around  us.  The  lofty  summit  of  the  Sierra  Nevada 

14 


210  THE  ALHAMBRA 

alone  retained  a  lingering  gleam  of  daylight ;  its  snowy 
peaks  glaring  against  the  dark  blue  firmament,  and 
seeming  close  to  us,  from  the  extreme  purity  of  the 
atmosphere. 

"How  near  the  Sierra  looks  this  evening!"  said 
Mateo ;  "  it  seems  as  if  you  could  touch  it  with  your 
hand;  and  yet  it  is  many  long  leagues  off."  While 
he  was  speaking,  a  star  appeared  over  the  snowy  sum 
mit  of  the  mountain,  the  only  one  yet  visible  in  the 
heavens,  and  so  pure,  so  large,  so  bright  and  beautiful, 
as  to  call  forth  ejaculations  of  delight  from  honest 
Mateo. 

"Que  estrella  hermosa!  que  clara  y  limpia  es!  — 
No  pueda  ser  estrella  mas  brillante !  " 

(What  a  beautiful  star!  how  clear  and  lucid!  —  a 
star  could  not  be  more  brilliant!) 

I  have  often  remarked  this  sensibility  of  the  com 
mon  people  of  Spain  to  the  charms  of  natural  objects. 
The  lustre  of  a  star,  the  beauty  or  fragrance  of  a 
flower,  the  crystal  purity  of  a  fountain,  will  inspire 
them  with  a  kind  of  poetical  delight;  and  then,  what 
euphonious  words  their  magnificent  language  affords, 
with  which  to  give  utterance  to  their  transports! 

"  But  what  lights  are  those,  Mateo,  which  I  see 
twinkling  along  the  Sierra  Nevada,  just  below  the 
snowy  region,  and  which  might  be  taken  for  stars,  only 
that  they  are  ruddy,  and  against  the  dark  side  of  the 
mountain?  " 

"  Those,  Sefior,  are  fires,  made  by  the  men  who 
gather  snow  and  ice  for  the  supply  of  Granada.  They 
go  up  every  afternoon  with  mules  and  asses,  and  take 
turns,  some  to  rest  and  warm  themselves  by  the  fires, 
while  others  fill  the  panniers  with  ice.  They  then  set 
off  down  the  mountains,  so  as  to  reach  the  gates  of 
Granada  before  sunrise.  That  Sierra  Nevada,  Sefior, 
is  a  lump  of  ice  in  the  middle  of  Andalusia,  to  keep 
it  all  cool  in  summer." 


A  RAMBLE  AMONG  THE  HILLS      211 

It  was  now  completely  dark;  we  were  passing 
through  the  barranco,  where  stood  the  cross  of  the 
murdered  muleteer,  when  I  beheld  a  number  of  lights 
moving  at  a  distance,  and  apparently  advancing  up  the 
ravine.  On  nearer  approach  they  proved  to  be  torches 
borne  by  a  train  of  uncouth  figures  arrayed  in  black : 
it  would  have  been  a  procession  dreary  enough  at  any 
time,  but  was  peculiarly  so  in  this  wild  and  solitary 
place. 

Mateo  drew  near,  and  told  me,  in  a  low  voice,  that 
it  was  a  funeral  train  bearing  a  corpse  to  the  burying- 
ground  among  the  hills. 

As  the  procession  passed  by,  the  lugubrious  light 
of  the  torches,  falling  on  the  rugged  features  and 
funeral-weeds  of  the  attendants,  had  the  most  fantastic 
effect,  but  was  perfectly  ghastly,  as  it  revealed  the  coun 
tenance  of  the  corpse,  which,  according  to  the  Spanish 
custom,  was  borne  uncovered  on  an  open  bier.  I  re 
mained  for  some  time  gazing  after  the  dreary  train  as 
it  wound  up  the  dark  defile  of  the  mountain.  It  put 
me  in  mind  of  the  old  story  of  a  procession  of  demons 
bearing  the  body  of  a  sinner  up  the  crater  of  Stromboli. 

"  Ah !  Senor,"  cried  Mateo,  "  I  could  tell  you  a  story 
of  a  procession  once  seen  among  these  mountains,  but 
then  you  'd  laugh  at  me,  and  say  it  was  one  of  the 
legacies  of  my  grandfather  the  tailor." 

"  By  no  means,  Mateo.  There  is  nothing  I  relish 
more  than  a  marvellous  tale." 

"  Well,  Senor,  it  is  about  one  of  those  very  men  we 
have  been  talking  of,  who  gather  snow  on  the  Sierra 
Nevada. 

"  You  must  know,  that  a  great  many  years  since, 
in  my  grandfather's  time,  there  was  an  old  fellow,  Tio 
Nicolo  [Uncle  Nicholas]  by  name,  who  had  filled  the 
panniers  of  his  mule  with  snow  and  ice,  and  was  re 
turning  down  the  mountain.  Being  very  drowsy,  he 
mounted  upon  the  mule,  and  soon  falling  asleep,  went 


212  THE  ALHAMBRA 

with  his  head  nodding  and  bobbing  about  from  side  to 
side,  while  his  sure-footed  old  mule  stepped  along  the 
edge  of  precipices,  and  down  steep  and  broken  bar- 
rancos,  just  as  safe  and  steady  as  if  it  had  been  on 
plain  ground.  At  length  Tio  Nicolo  awoke,  and  gazed 
about  him,  and  rubbed  his  eyes  —  and,  in  good  truth, 
he  had  reason.  The  moon  shone  almost  as  bright  as 
day,  and  he  saw  the  city  below  him,  as  plain  as  your 
hand,  and  shining  with  its  white  buildings,  like  a  silver 
platter,  in  the  moonshine;  but,  Lord!  Senor,  it  was 
nothing  like  the  city  he  had  left  a  few  hours  before! 
Instead  of  the  cathedral,  with  its  great  dome  and  tur 
rets,  and  the  churches  with  their  spires,  and  the  con 
vents  with  their  pinnacles,  all  surmounted  with  the 
blessed  cross,  he  saw  nothing  but  Moorish  mosques, 
and  minarets,  and  cupolas,  all  topped  off  with  glitter 
ing  crescents,  such  as  you  see  on  the  Barbary  flags. 
Well,  Senor,  as  you  may  suppose,  Tio  Nicolo  was 
mightily  puzzled  at  all  this,  but  while  he  was  gazing 
down  upon  the  city,  a  great  army  came  marching  up  the 
mountains,  winding  along  the  ravines,  sometimes  in 
the  moonshine,  sometimes  in  the  shade.  As  it  drew 
nigh,  he  saw  that  there  were  horse  and  foot,  all  in 
Moorish  armor.  Tio  Nicolo  tried  to  scramble  out  of 
their  way,  but  his  old  mule  stood  stockstill,  and  refused 
to  budge,  trembling,  at  the  same  time,  like  a  leaf,  — 
for  dumb  beasts,  Senor,  are  just  as  much  frightened 
at  such  things  as  human  beings.  Well,  Senor,  the  hob 
goblin  army  came  marching  by;  there  were  men  that 
seemed  to  blow  trumpets,  and  others  to  beat  drums 
and  strike  cymbals,  yet  never  a  sound  did  they  make; 
they  all  moved  on  without  the  least  noise,  just  as  I 
have  seen  painted  armies  move  across  the  stage  in  the 
theatre  of  Granada,  and  all  looked  as  pale  as  death. 
At  last,  in  the  rear  of  the  army,  between  two  black 
Moorish  horsemen,  rode  the  Grand  Inquisitor  of  Gra 
nada,  on  a  mule  as  white  as  snow.  Tio  Nicolo  won- 


A  RAMBLE  AMONG  THE  HILLS       213 

dered  to  see  him  in  such  company,  for  the  Inquisitor 
was  famous  for  his  hatred  of  Moors,  and,  indeed,  of 
all  kinds  of  Infidels,  Jews,  and  heretics,  and  used  to 
hunt  them  out  with  fire  and  scourge.  However,  Tio 
Nicolo  felt  himself  safe,  now  that  there  was  a  priest 
of  such  sanctity  at  hand.  So  making  the  sign  of  the 
cross,  he  called  out  for  his  benediction,  when,  hombre ! 
he  received  a  blow  that  sent  him  and  his  old  mule  over 
the  edge  of  a  steep  bank,  down  which  they  rolled,  head- 
over-heels,  to  the  bottom!  Tio  Nicolo  did  not  come 
to  his  senses  until  long  after  sunrise,  when  he  found 
himself  at  the  bottom  of  a  deep  ravine,  his  mule  grazing 
beside  him,  and  his  panniers  of  snow  completely 
melted.  He  crawled  back  to  Granada  sorely  bruised 
and  battered,  but  was  glad  to  find  the  city  looking  as 
usual,  with  Christian  churches  and  crosses.  When  he 
told  the  story  of  his  night's  adventure,  every  one 
laughed  at  him;  some  said  he  had  dreamed  it  all,  as 
he  dozed  on  his  mule;  others  thought  it  all  a  fabrica 
tion  of  his  own;  but  what  was  strange,  Senor,  and 
made  people  afterwards  think  more  seriously  of  the 
matter,  was,  that  the  Grand  Inquisitor  died  within  the 
year.  I  have  often  heard  my  grandfather,  the  tailor, 
say,  that  there  was  more  meant  by  that  hobgoblin  army 
bearing  off  the  resemblance  of  the  priest,  than  folks 
dared  to  surmise." 

"  Then  you  would  insinuate,  friend  Mateo,  that 
there  is  a  kind  of  Moorish  limbo,  or  purgatory,  in  the 
bowels  of  these  mountains,  to  which  the  padre  Inquisi 
tor  was  borne  off." 

"  God  forbid,  Senor !  I  know  nothing  of  the  mat 
ter.  I  only  relate  what  I  heard  from  my  grandfather." 

By  the  time  Mateo  had  finished  the  tale,  which  I 
have  more  succinctly  related,  and  which  was  interlarded 
with  many  comments,  and  spun  out  with  minute  de 
tails,  we  reached  the  gate  of  the  Alhambra. 

The  marvellous  stories  hinted  at  by  Mateo,  in  the 


214  THE  ALHAMBRA 

early  part  of  our  ramble  about  the  Tower  of  the  Seven 
Floors,  set  me  as  usual  upon  my  goblin  researches. 
I  found  that  the  redoubtable  phantom,  the  Belludo, 
had  been  time  out  of  mind  a  favorite  theme  of  nursery 
tales  and  popular  traditions  in  Granada,  and  that  hon 
orable  mention  had  even  been  made  of  it  by  an  ancient 
historian  and  topographer  of  the  place.  The  scattered 
members  of  one  of  these  popular  traditions  I  have  gath 
ered  together,  collated  them  with  infinite  pains,  and 
digested  them  into  the  following  legend;  which  only 
wants  a  number  of  learned  notes  and  references  at 
bottom  to  take  its  rank  among  those  concrete  produc 
tions  gravely  passed  upon  the  world  for  Historical 
Facts. 


LEGEND   OF  THE  MOOR'S   LEGACY 

JUST  within  the  fortress  of  the  Alhambra,  in  front  of 
the  royal  palace,  is  a  broad  open  esplanade,  called  the 
Place  or  Square  of  the  Cisterns,  (la  Plaza  de  los  Algi- 
bes,)  so  called  from  being  undermined  by  reservoirs 
of  water,  hidden  from  sight,  and  which  have  existed 
from  the  time  of  the  Moors.  At  one  corner  of  this 
esplanade  is  a  Moorish  well,  cut  through  the  living  rock 
to  a  great  depth,  the  water  of  which  is  cold  as  ice  and 
clear  as  crystal.  The  wells  made  by  the  Moors  are 
always  in  repute,  for  it  is  well  known  what  pains  they 
took  to  penetrate  to  the  purest  and  sweetest  springs 
and  fountains.  The  one  of  which  we  now  speak  is 
famous  throughout  Granada,  insomuch  that  water- 
carriers,  some  bearing  great  water-jars  on  their  shoul 
ders,  others  driving  asses  before  them  laden  with 
earthen  vessels,  are  ascending  and  descending  the  steep 
woody  avenues  of  the  Alhambra,  from  early  dawn 
until  a  late  hour  of  the  night. 


LEGEND  OF  THE  MOOR'S  LEGACY     215 

Fountains  and  wells,  ever  since  the  scriptural  days, 
have  been  noted  gossiping-places  in  hot  climates ;  and  at 
the  well  in  question  there  is  a  kind  of  perpetual  club 
kept  up  during  the  livelong  day,  by  the  invalids,  old 
women,  and  other  curious  do-nothing  folk  of  the  for 
tress,  who  sit  here  on  the  stone  benches,  under  an  awn 
ing  spread  over  the  well  to  shelter  the  toll-gatherer 
from  the  sun,  and  dawdle  over  the  gossip  of  the  for 
tress,  and  question  every  water-carrier  that  arrives 
about  the  news  of  the  city,  and  make  long  comments 
on  everything  they  hear  and  see.  Not  an  hour  of  the 
day  but  loitering  housewives  and  idle  maid-servants 
may  be  seen,  lingering,  with  pitcher  on  head  or  in 
hand,  to  hear  the  last  of  the  endless  tattle  of  these 
worthies. 

Among  the  water-carriers  who  once  resorted  to  this 
well,  there  was  a  sturdy,  strong-backed,  bandy-legged 
little  fellow,  named  Pedro  Gil,  but  called  Peregil  for 
shortness.  Being  a  water-carrier,  he  was  a  Gallego,  or 
native  of  Gallicia,  of  course.  Nature  seems  to  have 
formed  races  of  men,  as  she  has  of  animals,  for  differ 
ent  kinds  of  drudgery.  In  France  the  shoeblacks  are 
all  Savoyards,  the  porters  of  hotels  all  Swiss,  and  in 
the  days  of  hoops  and  hair-powder  in  England,  no  man 
could  give  the  regular  swing  to  a  sedan-chair  but  a 
bog-trotting  Irishman.  So  in  Spain,  the  carriers  of 
water  and  bearers  of  burdens  are  all  sturdy  little  na 
tives  of  Gallicia.  No  man  says,  "  Get  me  a  porter," 
but,  "  Call  a  Gallego." 

To  return  from  this  digression,  Peregil  the  Gallego 
had  begun  business  with  merely  a  great  earthen  jar 
which  he  carried  upon  his  shoulder ;  by  degrees  he  rose 
in  the  world,  and  was  enabled  to  purchase  an  assist 
ant  of  a  correspondent  class  of  animals,  being  a  stout 
shaggy-haired  donkey.  On  each  side  of  this  his  long- 
eared  aide-de-camp,  in  a  kind  of  pannier,  were  slung 
his  water-jars,  covered  with  fig-leaves  to  protect  them 


216  THE  ALHAMBRA 

from  the  sun.  There  was  not  a  more  industrious  water- 
carrier  in  all  Granada,  nor  one  more  merry  withal.  The 
streets  rang  with  his  cheerful  voice  as  he  trudged  after 
his  donkey,  singing  forth  the  usual  summer  note  that 
resounds  through  the  Spanish  towns :  "  Quien  quiere 
agua  —  agua  mas  fria  que  la  nieve?  "  —  "  Who  wants 
water  —  water  colder  than  snow  ?  Who  wants  water 
from  the  well  of  the  Alhambra,  cold  as  ice  and  clear  as 
crystal  ?  "  When  he  served  a  customer  with  a  spar 
kling  glass,  it  was  always  with  a  pleasant  word  that 
caused  a  smile;  and  if,  perchance,  it  was  a  comely 
dame  or  dimpling  damsel,  it  was  always  with  a  sly 
leer  and  a  compliment  to  her  beauty  that  was  irresistible. 
Thus  Peregil  the  Gallego  was  noted  throughout  all 
Granada  for  being  one  of  the  civilest,  pleasantest,  and 
happiest  of  mortals.  Yet  it  is  not  he  who  sings  loudest 
and  jokes  most  that  has  the  lightest  heart.  Under  all 
this  air  of  merriment,  honest  Peregil  had  his  cares  and 
troubles.  He  had  a  large  family  of  ragged  children  to 
support,  who  were  hungry  and  clamorous  as  a  nest  of 
young  swallows,  and  beset  him  with  their  outcries  for 
food  whenever  he  came  home  of  an  evening.  He  had 
a  helpmate,  too,  who  was  anything  but  a  help  to  him. 
She  had  been  a  village  beauty  before  marriage,  noted 
for  her  skill  at  dancing  the  bolero  and  rattling  the  cas 
tanets;  and  she  still  retained  her  early  propensities, 
spending  the  hard  earnings  of  honest  Peregil  in  frip 
pery,  and  laying  the  very  donkey  under  requisition  for 
junketing  parties  into  the  country  on  Sundays,  and 
saints'  days,  and  those  innumerable  holidays  which  are 
rather  more  numerous  in  Spain  than  the  days  of  the 
week.  With  all  this  she  was  a  little  of  a  slattern,  some 
thing  more  of  a  lie-abed,  and,  above  all,  a  gossip  of  the 
first  water;  neglecting  house,  household,  and  every 
thing  else,  to  loiter  slipshod  in  the  houses  of  her  gossip 
neighbors. 

He,  however,  who  tempers  the  wind  to  the  shorn 


LEGEND  OF  THE  MOOR'S  LEGACY     217 

lamb,  accommodates  the  yoke  of  matrimony  to  the  sub 
missive  neck.  Peregil  bore  all  the  heavy  dispensations 
of  wife  and  children  with  as  meek  a  spirit  as  his  donkey 
bore  the  water-jars ;  and,  however  he  might  shake  his 
ears  in  private,  never  ventured  to  question  the  house 
hold  virtues  of  his  slattern  spouse. 

He  loved  his  children,  too,  even  as  an  owl  loves  its 
owlets,  seeing  in  them  his  own  image  multiplied  and 
perpetuated ;  for  they  were  a  sturdy,  long-backed, 
bandy-legged  little  brood.  The  great  pleasure  of  hon 
est  Peregil  was,  whenever  he  could  afford  himself  a 
scanty  holiday,  and  had  a  handful  of  maravedis  to 
spare,  to  take  the  whole  litter  forth  with  him,  some  in 
his  arms,  some  tugging  at  his  skirts,  and  some  trudg 
ing  at  his  heels,  and  to  treat  them  to  a  gambol  among 
the  orchards  of  the  Vega,  while  his  wife  was  dancing 
with  her  holiday  friends  in  the  Angosturas  of  the 
Darro. 

It  was  a  late  hour  one  summer  night,  and  most  of 
the  water-carriers  had  desisted  from  their  toils.  The 
day  had  been  uncommonly  sultry;  the  night  was  one 
of  those  delicious  moonlights  which  tempt  the  inhabit 
ants  of  southern  climes  to  indemnify  themselves  for  the 
heat  and  inaction  of  the  day,  by  lingering  in  the  open 
air,  and  enjoying  its  tempered  sweetness  until  after 
midnight.  Customers  for  water  were  therefore  still 
abroad.  Peregil,  like  a  considerate,  painstaking  father, 
thought  of  his  hungry  children.  "  One  more  journey 
to  the  well,"  said  he  to  himself,  "  to  earn  a  Sunday's 
puchero  for  the  little  ones."  So  saying,  he  trudged 
manfully  up  the  steep  avenue  of  the  Alhambra,  singing 
as  he  went,  and  now  and  then  bestowing  a  hearty 
thwack  with  a  cudgel  on  the  flanks  of  his  donkey, 
either  by  way  of  cadence  to  the  song,  or  refreshment 
to  the  animal ;  for  dry  blows  serve  in  lieu  of  provender 
in  Spain  for  all  beasts  of  burden. 

When  arrived  at  the  well,  he  found  it  deserted  by 


218  THE  ALHAMBRA 

every  one  except  a  solitary  stranger  in  Moorish  garb, 
seated  on  a  stone  bench  in  the  moonlight.  Peregil 
paused  at  first  and  regarded  him  with  surprise,  not  un 
mixed  with  awe,  but  the  Moor  feebly  beckoned  him  to 
approach.  "  I  am  faint  and  ill,"  said  he ;  "  aid  me  to 
return  to  the  city,  and  I  will  pay  thee  double  what  thou 
couldst  gain  by  thy  jars  of  water." 

The  honest  heart  of  the  little  water-carrier  was 
touched  with  compassion  at  the  appeal  of  the  stranger. 
"  God  forbid,"  said  he,  "  that  I  should  ask  fee  or  re 
ward  for  doing  a  common  act  of  humanity."  He  ac 
cordingly  helped  the  Moor  on  his  donkey,  and  set  off 
slowly  for  Granada,  the  poor  Moslem  being  so  weak 
that  it  was  necessary  to  hold  him  on  the  animal  to  keep 
him  from  falling  to  the  earth. 

When  they  entered  the  city,  the  water-carrier  de 
manded  whither  he  should  conduct  him.  "  Alas !  "  said 
the  Moor,  faintly,  "  I  have  neither  home  nor  habita 
tion;  I  am  a  stranger  in  the  land.  Suffer  me  to  lay 
my  head  this  night  beneath  thy  roof,  and  thou  shalt 
be  amply  repaid." 

Honest  Peregil  thus  saw  himself  unexpectedly  sad 
dled  with  an  infidel  guest,  but  he  was  too  humane  to 
refuse  a  night's  shelter  to  a  fellow-being  in  so  forlorn 
a  plight;  so  he  conducted  the  Moor  to  his  dwelling. 
The  children,  who  had  sallied  forth  open-mouthed  as 
usual  on  hearing  the  tramp  of  the  donkey,  ran  back 
with  affright  when  they  beheld  the  turbaned  stranger, 
and  hid  themselves  behind  their  mother.  The  latter 
stepped  forth  intrepidly,  like  a  ruffling  hen  before  her 
brood  when  a  vagrant  dog  approaches. 

"  What  infidel  companion,"  cried  she,  "  is  this  you 
have  brought  home  at  this  late  hour,  to  draw  upon  us 
the  eyes  of  the  inquisition  ?  " 

"Be  quiet,  wife,"  replied  the  Gallego;  "here  is  a 
poor  sick  stranger,  without  friend  or  home;  wouldst 
thou  turn  him  forth  to  perish  in  the  streets  ?  " 


LEGEND  OF  THE  MOOR'S  LEGACY     219 

The  wife  would  still  have  remonstrated,  for  although 
she  lived  in  a  hovel,  she  was  a  furious  stickler  for  the 
credit  of  her  house;  the  little  water-carrier,  however, 
for  once  was  stiffnecked,  and  refused  to  bend  beneath 
the  yoke.  He  assisted  the  poor  Moslem  to  alight,  and 
spread  a  mat  and  a  sheep-skin  for  him,  on  the  ground, 
in  the  coolest  part  of  the  house;  being  the  only  kind 
of  bed  that  his  poverty  afforded. 

In  a  little  while  the  Moor  was  seized  with  violent 
convulsions,  which  defied  all  the  ministering  skill  of 
the  simple  water-carrier.  The  eye  of  the  poor  patient 
acknowledged  his  kindness.  During  an  interval  of  his 
fits  he  called  him  to  his  side,  and  addressing  him  in 
a  low  voice,  "  My  end,"  said  he,  "  I  fear  is  at  hand. 
If  I  die,  I  bequeath  you  this  box  as  a  reward  for  your 
charity  "  :  so  saying,  he  opened  his  albornoz,  or  cloak, 
and  showed  a  small  box  of  sandal-wood,  strapped 
round  his  body.  "  God  grant,  my  friend,"  replied  the 
worthy  little  Gallego,  "  that  you  may  live  many  years 
to  enjoy  your  treasure,  whatever  it  may  be."  The 
Moor  shook  his  head ;  he  laid  his  hand  upon  the  box, 
and  would  have  said  something  more  concerning  it, 
but  his  convulsions  returned  with  increasing  violence, 
and  in  a  little  while  he  expired. 

The  water-carrier's  wife  was  now  as  one  distracted. 
"  This  comes,"  said  she,  "  of  your  foolish  good-nature, 
always  running  into  scrapes  to  oblige  others.  What 
wil  become  of  us  when  this  corpse  is  found  in  our 
house  ?  We  shall  be  sent  to  prison  as  murderers ;  and 
if  we  escape  with  our  lives,  shall  be  ruined  by  notaries 
and  alguazils." 

Poor  Peregil  was  in  equal  tribulation,  and  almost 
repented  himself  of  having  done  a  good  deed.  At 
length  a  thought  struck  him.  "  It  is  not  yet  day,"  said 
he ;  "I  can  convey  the  dead  body  out  of  the  city,  and 
bury  it  in  the  sands  on  the  banks  of  the  Xenil.  No  one 
saw  the  Moor  enter  our  dwelling,  and  no  one  will  know 
anything  of  his  death." 


220  THE  ALHAMBRA 

So  said,  so  done.  The  wife  aided  him;  they  rolled 
the  body  of  the  unfortunate  Moslem  in  the  mat  on 
which  he  had  expired,  laid  it  across  the  ass,  and  Peregil 
set  out  with  it  for  the  banks  of  the  river. 

As  ill  luck  would  have  it,  there  lived  opposite  to  the 
water-carrier  a  barber  named  Pedrillo  Pedrugo,  one 
of  the  most  prying,  tattling,  and  mischief-making  of 
his  gossip  tribe.  He  was  a  weasel-faced,  spider-legged 
varlet,  supple  and  insinuating;  the  famous  barber  of 
Seville  could  not  surpass  him  for  his  universal  knowl 
edge  of  the  affairs  of  others,  and  he  had  no  more  power 
of  retention  than  a  sieve.  It  was  said  that  he  slept  but 
with  one  eye  at  a  time,  and  kept  one  ear  uncovered,  so 
that  even  in  his  sleep  he  might  see  and  hear  all  that  was 
going  on.  Certain  it  is,  he  was  a  sort  of  scandalous 
chronicle  for  the  quidnuncs  of  Granada,  and  had  more 
customers  than  all  the  rest  of  his  fraternity. 

This  meddlesome  barber  heard  Peregil  arrive  at  an 
unusual  hour  at  night,  and  the  exclamations  of  his  wife 
and  children.  His  head  was  instantly  popped  out  of 
a  little  window  which  served  him  as  a  look-out,  and  he 
saw  his  neighbor  assist  a  man  in  Moorish  garb  into  his 
dwelling.  This  was  so  strange  an  occurrence,  that  Pe 
drillo  Pedrugo  slept  not  a  wink  that  night.  Every  five 
minutes  he  was  at  his  loophole,  watching  the  lights 
that  gleamed  through  the  chinks  of  his  neighbor's  door, 
and  before  daylight  he  beheld  Peregil  sally  forth  with 
his  donkey  unusually  laden. 

The  inquisitive  barber  was  in  a  fidget ;  he  slipped  on 
his  clothes,  and,  stealing  forth  silently,  followed  the 
water-carrier  at  a  distance,  until  he  saw  him  dig  a  hole 
in  the  sandy  bank  of  the  Xenil,  and  bury  something 
that  had  the  appearance  of  a  dead  body. 

The  barber  hied  him  home,  and  fidgeted  about  his 
shop,  setting  everything  upside  down,  until  sunrise. 
He  then  took  a  basin  under  his  arm,  and  sallied  forth 
to  the  house  of  his  daily  customer  the  alcalde. 


LEGEND  OF  THE  MOOR'S  LEGACY     221 

The  alcalde  was  just  risen.  Pedrillo  Pedrugo  seated 
him  in  a  chair,  threw  a  napkin  round  his  neck,  put  a 
basin  of  hot  water  under  his  chin,  and  began  to  mollify 
his  beard  with  his  fingers. 

"  Strange  doings !  "  said  Pedrugo,  who  played  bar 
ber  and  newsmonger  at  the  same  time,  —  "  strange 
doings!  Robbery,  and  murder,  and  burial  all  in  one 
night !  " 

"  Hey !  —  how !  —  what  is  that  you  say  ?  "  cried 
the  alcalde. 

"  I  say,"  replied  the  barber,  rubbing  a  piece  of  soap 
over  the  nose  and  mouth  of  the  dignitary,  for  a  Span 
ish  barber  disdains  to  employ  a  brush,  —  "I  say  that 
Peregil  the  Gallego  has  robbed  and  murdered  a  Moor 
ish  Mussulman,  and  buried  him,  this  blessed  night. 
Mddita  sea  la  noche;  —  Accursed  be  the  night  for  the 
same !  " 

"  But  how  do  you  know  all  this  ? "  demanded  the 
alcalde. 

"  Be  patient,  Sefior,  and  you  shall  hear  all  about  it," 
replied  Pedrillo,  taking  him  by  the  nose  and  sliding  a 
razor  over  his  cheek.  He  then  recounted  all  that  he 
had  seen,  going  through  both  operations  at  the  same 
time,  shaving  his  beard,  washing  his  chin,  and  wiping 
him  dry  with  a  dirty  napkin,  while  he  was  robbing, 
murdering,  and  burying  the  Moslem. 

Now  it  so  happened  that  this  alcalde  was  one  of  the 
most  overbearing,  and  at  the  same  time  most  griping 
and  corrupt  curmudgeons  in  all  Granada.  It  could  not 
be  denied,  however,  that  he  set  a  high  value  upon  jus 
tice,  for  he  sold  it  at  its  weight  in  gold.  He  presumed 
the  case  in  point  to  be  one  of  murder  and  robbery ; 
doubtless  there  must  be  a  rich  spoil ;  how  was  it  to  be 
secured  into  the  legitimate  hands  of  the  law?  for  as 
to  merely  entrapping  the  delinquent  —  that  would  be 
feeding  the  gallows ;  but  entrapping  the  booty  —  that 
would  be  enriching  the  judge,  and  such,  according  to 


222  THE  ALHAMBRA 

his  creed,  was  the  great  end  of  justice.  So  thinking, 
he  summoned  to  his  presence  his  trustiest  alguazil  —  a 
gaunt,  hungry-looking  varlet,  clad,  according  to  the 
custom  of  his  order,  in  the  ancient  Spanish  garb,  a 
broad  black  beaver  turned  up  at  its  sides;  a  quaint 
ruff ;  a  small  black  cloak  dangling  from  his  shoulders ; 
rusty  black  under-clothes  that  set  off  his  spare  wiry 
frame,  while  in  his  hand  he  bore  a  slender  white  wand, 
the  dreaded  insignia  of  his  office.  Such  was  the  legal 
bloodhound  of  the  ancient  Spanish  breed,  that  he  put 
upon  the  traces  of  the  unlucky  water-carrier,  and  such 
was  his  speed  and  certainty,  that  he  was  upon  the 
haunches  of  poor  Peregil  before  he  had  returned  to 
his  dwelling,  and  brought  both  him  and  his  donkey 
before  the  dispenser  of  justice. 

The  alcalde  bent  upon  him  one  of  the  most  terrific 
frowns.  "  Hark  ye,  culprit !  "  roared  he,  in  a  voice 
that  made  the  knees  of  the  little  Gallego  smite  together, 

"  hark  ye,  culprit !  there  is  no  need  of  denying  thy 
guilt,  everything  is  known  to  me.  A  gallows  is  the 
proper  reward  for  the  crime  thou  hast  committed,  but 
I  am  merciful,  and  readily  listen  to  reason.  The  man 
that  has  been  murdered  in  thy  house  was  a  Moor,  an 
infidel,  the  enemy  of  our  faith.  It  was  doubtless  in  a 
fit  of  religious  zeal  that  thou  hast  slain  him.  I  will  be 
indulgent,  therefore;  render  up  the  property  of  which 
thou  hast  robbed  him,  and  we  will  hush  the  matter  up." 

The  poor  water-carrier  called  upon  all  the  saints  to 
witness  his  innocence ;  alas !  not  one  of  them  appeared ; 
and  if  they  had,  the  alcalde  would  have  disbelieved  the 
whole  calendar.  The  water-carrier  related  the  whole 
story  of  the  dying  Moor  with  the  straightforward  sim 
plicity  of  truth,  but  it  was  all  in  vain.  "  Wilt  thou 
persist  in  saying,"  demanded  the  judge,  "  that  this 
Moslem  had  neither  gold  nor  jewels,  which  were  the 
object  of  thy  cupidity?  " 

"  As  I  hope  to  be  saved,  your  worship,"  replied  the 


LEGEND  OF  THE  MOOR'S  LEGACY     223 

water-carrier,  "  he  had  nothing  but  a  small  box  of 
sandal-wood  which  he  bequeathed  to  me  in  reward  for 
my  services." 

"  A  box  of  sandal-wood !  a  box  of  sandal-wood !  " 
exclaimed  the  alcalde,  his  eyes  sparkling  at  the  idea 
of  precious  jewels.  "And  where  is  this  box?  where 
have  you  concealed  it?  " 

"  An'  it  please  your  grace,"  replied  the  water-carrier, 
"  it  is  in  one  of  the  panniers  of  my  mule,  and  heartily  at 
the  service  of  your  worship." 

He  had  hardly  spoken  the  words,  when  the  keen 
alguazil  darted  off,  and  reappeared  in  an  instant  with 
the  mysterious  box  of  sandal-wood.  The  alcalde 
opened  it  with  an  eager  and  trembling  hand ;  all  pressed 
forward  to  gaze  upon  the  treasure  it  was  expected  to 
contain;  when,  to  their  disappointment,  nothing  ap 
peared  within,  but  a  parchment  scroll,  covered  with 
Arabic  characters,  and  an  end  of  a  waxen  taper. 

When  there  is  nothing  to  be  gained  by  the  convic 
tion  of  a  prisoner,  justice,  even  in  Spain,  is  apt  to  be 
impartial.  The  alcalde,  having  recovered  from  his  dis 
appointment,  and  found  that  there  was  really  no  booty 
in  the  case,  now  listened  dispassionately  to  the  expla 
nation  of  the  water-carrier,  which  was  corroborated  by 
the  testimony  of  his  wife.  Being  convinced,  therefore, 
of  his  innocence,  he  discharged  him  from  arrest ;  nay, 
more,  he  permitted  him  to  carry  off  the  Moor's  legacy, 
the  box  of  sandal-wood  and  its  contents,  as  the  well- 
merited  reward  of  his  humanity;  but  he  retained  his 
donkey  in  payment  of  costs  and  charges. 

Behold  the  unfortunate  little  Gallego  reduced  once 
more  to  the  necessity  of  being  his  own  water-carrier, 
and  trudging  up  to  the  well  of  the  Alhambra  with  a 
great  earthen  jar  upon  his  shoulder. 

As  he  toiled  up  the  hill  in  the  heat  of  a  summer 
noon,  his  usual  good-humor  forsook  him.  "  Dog  of 
an  alcalde !  "  would  he  cry,  "  to  rob  a  poor  man  of  the 


224  THE  ALHAMBRA 

means  of  his  subsistence,  of  the  best  friend  he  had  in 
the  world !  "  And  then  at  the  remembrance  of  the 
beloved  companion  of  his  labors,  all  the  kindness  of 
his  nature  would  break  forth.  "  Ah,  donkey  of  my 
heart !  "  would  he  exclaim,  resting  his  burden  on  a 
stone,  and  wiping  the  sweat  from  his  brow,  —  "  ah, 
donkey  of  my  heart!  I  warrant  me  thou  thinkest  of 
thy  old  master !  I  warrant  me  thou  missest  the  wrater- 
jars  —  poor  beast." 

To  add  to  his  afflictions,  his  wife  received  him,  on 
his  return  home,  with  whimperings  and  repinings;  she 
had  clearly  the  vantage-ground  of  him,  having  warned 
him  not  to  commit  the  egregious  act  of  hospitality 
which  had  brought  on  him  all  these  misfortunes;  and, 
like  a  knowing  woman,  she  took  every  occasion  to 
throw  her  superior  sagacity  in  his  teeth.  If  her  chil 
dren  lacked  food,  or  needed  a  new  garment,  she  could 
answer  with  a  sneer,  "  Go  to  your  father  —  he  is  heir 
to  King  Chico  of  the  Alhambra :  ask  him  to  help  you 
out  of  the  Moor's  strong  box." 

Was  ever  poor  mortal  so  soundly  punished  for  hav 
ing  done  a  good  action?  The  unlucky  Peregil  was 
grieved  in  flesh  and  spirit,  but  still  he  bore  meekly  with 
the  railings  of  his  spouse.  At  length,  one  evening, 
when,  after  a  hot  day's  toil,  she  taunted  him  in  the 
usual  manner,  he  lost  all  patience.  He  did  not  venture 
to  retort  upon  her,  but  his  eye  rested  upon  the  box  of 
sandal-wood  which  lay  on  a  shelf  with  lid  half  open, 
as  if  laughing  in  mockery  at  his  vexation.  Seizing  it 
up,  he  dashed  it  with  indignation  to  the  floor.  "  Un 
lucky  was  the  day  that  I  ever  set  eyes  on  thee,"  he 
cried,  "  or  sheltered  thy  master  beneath  my  roof !  " 

As  the  box  struck  the  floor,  the  lid  flew  wide  open, 
and  the  parchment  scroll  rolled  forth. 

Peregil  sat  regarding  the  scroll  for  some  time  in 
moody  silence.  At  length  rallying  his  ideas,  "  Who 
knows,"  thought  he,  "  but  this  writing  may  be  of  some 


LEGEND  OF  THE  MOOR'S  LEGACY     225 

importance,  as  the  Moor  seems  to  have  guarded  it  with 
such  care?  "  Picking  it  up  therefore,  he  put  it  in  his 
bosom,  and  the  next  morning,  as  he  was  crying  water 
through  the  streets,  he  stopped  at  the  shop  of  a  Moor, 
a  native  of  Tangiers,  who  sold  trinkets  and  perfumery 
in  the  Zacatin,  and  asked  him  to  explain  the  contents. 

The  Moor  read  the  scroll  attentively,  then  stroked 
his  beard  and  smiled.  "  This  manuscript,"  said  he, 
"  is  a  form  of  incantation  for  the  recovery  of  hidden 
treasure  that  is  under  the  power  of  enchantment.  It 
is  said  to  have  such  virtue  that  the  stongest  bolts  and 
bars,  nay  the  adamantine  rock  itself,  will  yield  be 
fore  it!" 

"  Bah !  "  cried  the  little  Gallego,  "  what  is  all  that 
to  me?  I  am  no  enchanter,  and  know  nothing  of 
buried  treasure."  So  saying,  he  shouldered  his  water- 
jar,  left  the  scroll  in  the  hands  of  the  Moor,  and 
trudged  forward  on  his  daily  rounds. 

That  evening,  however,  as  he  rested  himself  about 
twilight  at  the  well  of  the  Alhambra,  he  found  a  num 
ber  of  gossips  assembled  at  the  place,  and  their  con 
versation,  as  is  not  unusual  at  that  shadowy  hour, 
turned  upon  old  tales  and  traditions  of  a  supernatural 
nature.  Being  all  poor  as  rats,  they  dwelt  with  pecul 
iar  fondness  upon  the  popular  theme  of  enchanted 
riches  left  by  the  Moors  in  various  parts  of  the  Alham 
bra.  Above  all,  they  concurred  in  the  belief  that  there 
were  great  treasures  buried  deep  in  the  earth  under  the 
tower  of  the  seven  floors. 

These  stories  made  an  unusual  impression  on  the 
mind  of  the  honest  Peregil,  and  they  sank  deeper  and 
deeper  into  his  thoughts  as  he  returned  alone  down  the 
darkling  avenues.  "  If,  after  all,  there  should  be  treas 
ure  hid  beneath  that  tower;  and  if  the  scroll  I  left  with 
the  Moor  should  enable  me  to  get  at  it !  "  In  the  sud 
den  ecstasy  of  the  thought  he  had  wellnigh  let  fall  his 
water-jar. 

X5 


226  THE  ALHAMBRA 

That  night  he  tumbled  and  tossed,  and  could  scarcely 
get  a  wink  of  sleep  for  the  thoughts  that  were  bewil 
dering  his  brain.  Bright  and  early  he  repaired  to  the 
shop  of  the  Moor,  and  told  him  all  that  was  passing 
in  his  mind.  "  You  can  read  Arabic,"  said  he ;  "  sup 
pose  we  go  together  to  the  tower,  and  try  the  effect  of 
the  charm;  if  it  fails,  we  are  no  worse  off  than  before; 
but  if  it  succeeds,  we  will  share  equally  all  the  treasure 
we  may  discover." 

"  Hold,"  replied  the  Moslem ;  "  this  writing  is  not 
sufficient  of  itself ;  it  must  be  read  at  midnight,  by  the 
light  of  a  taper  singularly  compounded  and  prepared, 
the  ingredients  of  which  are  not  within  my  reach. 
Without  such  a  taper  the  scroll  is  of  no  avail." 

"  Say  no  more !  "  cried  the  little  Gallego ;  "  I  have 
such  a  taper  at  hand,  and  will  bring  it  here  in  a  mo 
ment."  So  saying,  he  hastened  home,  and  soon  re 
turned  with  the  end  of  yellow  wax  taper  that  he  had 
found  in  the  box  of  sandal-wood. 

The  Moor  felt  it  and  smelt  to  it.  "  Here  are  rare 
and  costly  perfumes,"  said  he,  "  combined  with  this 
yellow  wax.  This  is  the  kind  of  taper  specified  in  the 
scroll.  While  this  burns,  the  strongest  walls  and  most 
secret  caverns  will  remain  open.  Woe  to  him,  how 
ever,  who  lingers  within  until  it  be  extinguished.  He 
will  remain  enchanted  with  the  treasure." 

It  was  now  agreed  between  them  to  try  the  charm 
that  very  night.  At  a  late  hour,  therefore,  when  nothing 
was  stirring  but  bats  and  owls,  they  ascended  the  woody 
hill  of  the  Alhambra,  and  approached  that  awful  tower, 
shrouded  by  trees  and  rendered  formidable  by  so  many 
traditionary  tales.  By  the  light  of  a  lantern  they 
groped  their  way  through  bushes,  and  over  fallen 
stones,  to  the  door  of  a  vault  beneath  the  tower.  With 
fear  and  trembling  they  descended  a  flight  of  steps  cut 
into  the  rock.  It  led  to  an  empty  chamber,  damp  and 
drear,  from  which  another  flight  of  steps  led  to  a 


LEGEND  OF  THE  MOOR'S  LEGACY     227 

deeper  vault.  In  this  way  they  descended  four  several 
flights,  leading  into  as  many  vaults,  one  below  the 
other,  but  the  floor  of  the  fourth  was  solid;  and 
though,  according  to  tradition,  there  remained  three 
vaults  still  below,  it  was  said  to  be  impossible  to  pene 
trate  further,  the  residue  being  shut  up  by  strong  en 
chantment.  The  air  of  this  vault  was  damp  and  chilly, 
and  had  an  earthy  smell,  and  the  light  scarce  cast  forth 
any  rays.  They  paused  here  for  a  time,  in  breathless 
suspense,  until  they  faintly  heard  the  clock  of  the 
watch-tower  strike  midnight;  upon  this  they  lit  the 
waxen  taper,  which  diffused  an  odor  of  myrrh  and 
frankincense  and  storax. 

The  Moor  began  to  read  in  a  hurried  voice.  He  had 
scarce  finished  when  there  was  a  noise  as  of  subter 
raneous  thunder.  The  earth  shook,  and  the  floor, 
yawning  open,  disclosed  a  flight  of  steps.  Trembling 
with  awe,  they  descended,  and  by  the  light  of  the  lan 
tern  found  themselves  in  another  vault  covered  with 
Arabic  inscriptions.  In  the  centre  stood  a  great  chest, 
secured  with  seven  bands  of  steel,  at  each  end  of  which 
sat  an  enchanted  Moor  in  armor,  but  motionless  as  a 
statue,  being  controlled  by  the  power  of  the  incanta 
tion.  Before  the  chest  were  several  jars  filled  with 
gold  and  silver  and  precious  stones.  In  the  largest  of 
these  they  thrust  their  arms  up  to  the  elbow,  and  at 
every  dip  hauled  forth  handfuls  of  broad  yellow  pieces 
of  Moorish  gold,  or  bracelets  and  ornaments  of  the 
same  precious  metal,  while  occasionally  a  necklace  of 
Oriental  pearl  would  stick  to  their  fingers.  Still  they 
trembled  and  breathed  short  while  cramming  their 
pockets  with  the  spoils ;  and  cast  many  a  fearful  glance 
at  the  two  enchanted  Moors,  who  sat  grim  and  motion 
less,  glaring  upon  them  with  unwinking  eyes.  At 
length,  struck  with  a  sudden  panic  at  some  fancied 
noise,  they  both  rushed  up  the  staircase,  tumbled  over 
one  another  into  the  upper  apartment,  overturned  and 


228  THE  ALHAMBRA 

extinguished  the  waxen  taper,  and  the  pavement  again 
closed  with  a  thundering  sound. 

Filled  with  dismay,  they  did  not  pause  until  they  had 
groped  their  way  out  of  the  tower,  and  beheld  the  stars 
shining  through  the  trees.  Then  seating  themselves 
upon  the  grass,  they  divided  the  spoil,  determining  to 
content  themselves  for  the  present  with  this  mere  skim 
ming  of  the  jars,  but  to  return  on  some  future  night 
and  drain  them  to  the  bottom.  To  make  sure  of  each 
other's  good  faith,  also,  they  divided  the  talismans  be 
tween  them,  one  retaining  the  scroll  and  the  other  the 
taper ;  this  done,  they  set  off  with  light  hearts  and  well- 
lined  pockets  for  Granada. 

As  they  wended  their  way  down  the  hill,  the  shrewd 
Moor  whispered  a  word  of  counsel  in  the  ear  of  the 
simple  little  water-carrier. 

"  Friend  Peregil,"  said  he,  "  all  this  affair  must  be 
kept  a  profound  secret  until  we  have  secured  the  treas 
ure,  and  conveyed  it  out  of  harm's  way.  If  a  whisper 
of  it  gets  to  the  ear  of  the  alcalde,  we  are  undone !  " 

"  Certainly,"  replied  the  Gallego,  "  nothing  can  be 
more  true." 

"  Friend  Peregil,"  said  the  Moor,  "  you  are  a  dis 
creet  man,  and  I  make  no  doubt  can  keep  a  secret ;  but 
you  have  a  wife." 

"  She  shall  not  know  a  word  of  it,"  replied  the  little 
water-carrier  sturdily. 

"  Enough,"  said  the  Moor,  "  I  depend  upon  thy  dis 
cretion  and  thy  promise." 

Never  was  promise  more  positive  and  sincere;  but, 
alas!  what  man  can  keep  a  secret  from  his  wife?  Cer 
tainly  not  such  a  one  as  Peregil  the  water-carrier,  who 
was  one  of  the  most  loving  and  tractable  of  husbands. 
On  his  return  home,  he  found  his  wife  moping  in  a 
corner.  "  Mighty  well,"  cried  she  as  he  entered, 
"  you  've  come  at  last,  after  rambling  about  until  this 
hour  of  the  night.  I  wonder  you  have  not  brought 


LEGEND  OF  THE  MOOR'S  LEGACY     229 

home  another  Moor  as  a  house-mate."  Then  bursting 
into  tears,  she  began  to  wring  her  hands  and  smite  her 
breast.  "  Unhappy  woman  that  I  am !  "  exclaimed  she, 
"what  will  become  of  me?  My  house  stripped  and 
plundered  by  lawyers  and  alguazils ;  my  husband  a 
do-no-good,  that  no  longer  brings  home  bread  to  his 
family,  but  goes  rambling  about  day  and  night,  with 
infidel  Moors!  O  my  children!  my  children!  what 
will  become  of  us?  We  shall  all  have  to  beg  in  the 
streets !  " 

Honest  Peregil  was  so  moved  by  the  distress  of  his 
spouse,  that  he  could  not  help  whimpering  also.  His 
heart  was  as  full  as  his  pocket,  and  not  to  be  restrained. 
Thrusting  his  hand  into  the  latter  he  hauled  forth 
three  or  four  broad  gold  pieces,  and  slipped  them  into 
her  bosom.  The  poor  woman  stared  with  astonish 
ment,  and  could  not  understand  the  meaning  of  this 
golden  shower.  Before  she  could  recover  her  surprise, 
the  little  Gallego  drew  forth  a  chain  of  gold  and 
dangled  it  before  her,  capering  with  exultation,  his 
mouth  distended  from  ear  to  ear. 

"Holy  Virgin  protect  us!"  exclaimed  the  wife. 
"  What  hast  thou  been  doing,  Peregil  ?  surely  thou 
hast  not  been  committing  murder  and  robbery !  " 

The  idea  scarce  entered  the  brain  of  the  poor  woman, 
than  it  became  a  certainty  with  her.  She  saw  a  prison 
and  a  gallows  in  the  distance,  and  a  little  bandy-legged 
Gallego  hanging  pendent  from  it;  and,  overcome  by 
the  horrors  conjured  up  by  her  imagination,  fell  into 
violent  hysterics. 

What  could  the  poor  man  do?  He  had  no  other 
means  of  pacifying  his  wife,  and  dispelling  the  phan 
toms  of  her  fancy,  than  by  relating  the  whole  story  of 
his  good  fortune.  This,  however,  he  did  not  do  until 
he  had  exacted  from  her  the  most  solemn  promise  to 
keep  it  a  profound  secret  from  every  living  being. 

To  describe  her  joy  would  be  impossible.    She  flung 


230  THE  ALHAMBRA 

her  arms  round  the  neck  of  her  husband,  and  almost 
strangled  him  with  her  caresses.  "  Now,  wife,"  ex 
claimed  the  little  man  with  honest  exultation,  "  what 
say  you  now  to  the  Moor's  legacy  ?  Henceforth  never 
abuse  me  for  helping  a  fellow-creature  in  distress." 

The  honest  Gallego  retired  to  his  sheep-skin  mat, 
and  slept  as  soundly  as  if  on  a  bed  of  down.  Not  so  his 
wife;  she  emptied  the  whole  contents  of  his  pockets 
upon  the  mat,  and  sat  counting  gold  pieces  of  Arabic 
coin,  trying  on  necklaces  and  earrings,  and  fancying 
the  figure  she  should  one  day  make  when  permitted  to 
enjoy  her  riches. 

On  the  following  morning  the  honest  Gallego  took 
a  broad  golden  coin,  and  repaired  with  it  to  a  jeweller's 
shop  in  the  Zacatin  to  offer  it  for  sale,  pretending  to 
have  found  it  among  the  ruins  of  the  Alhambra.  The 
jeweller  saw  that  it  had  an  Arabic  inscription,  and 
was  of  the  purest  gold ;  he  offered,  however,  but  a  third 
of  its  value,  with  which  the  water-carrier  was  perfectly 
content.  Peregil  now  bought  new  clothes  for  his  little 
flock,  and  all  kinds  of  toys,  together  with  ample  provi 
sions  for  a  hearty  meal,  and  returning  to  his  dwelling, 
set  all  his  children  dancing  around  him,  while  he  ca 
pered  in  the  midst,  the  happiest  of  fathers. 

The  wife  of  the  water-carrier  kept  her  promise  of 
secrecy  with  surprising  strictness.  For  a  whole  day 
and  a  half  she  went  about  with  a  look  of  mystery  and 
a  heart  swelling  almost  to  bursting,  yet  she  held  her 
peace,  though  surrounded  by  her  gossips.  It  is  true, 
she  could  not  help  giving  herself  a  few  airs,  apologized 
for  her  ragged  dress,  and  talked  of  ordering  a  new 
basquina  all  trimmed  with  gold  lace  and  bugles,  and 
a  new  lace  mantilla.  She  threw  out  hints  of  her  hus 
band's  intention  of  leaving  off  his  trade  of  water- 
carrying,  as  it  did  not  altogether  agree  with  his  health. 
In  fact  she  thought  they  should  all  retire  to  the  country 
for  the  summer,  that  the  children  might  have  the  bene- 


LEGEND  OF  THE  MOOR'S  LEGACY     231 

fit  of  the  mountain  air,  for  there  was  no  living  in  the 
city  in  this  sultry  season. 

The  neighbors  stared  at  each  other,  and  thought  the 
poor  woman  had  lost  her  wits ;  and  her  airs  and  graces 
and  elegant  pretensions  were  the  theme  of  universal 
scoffing  and  merriment  among  her  friends,  the  moment 
her  back  was  turned. 

If  she  restrained  herself  abroad,  however,  she  in 
demnified  herself  at  home,  and  putting  a  string  of  rich 
Oriental  pearls  round  her  neck,  Moorish  bracelets  on 
her  arms,  and  an  aigrette  of  diamonds  on  her  head, 
sailed  backwards  and  forwards  in  her  slattern  rags 
about  the  room,  now  and  then  stopping  to  admire  her 
self  in  a  broken  mirror.  Nay,  in  the  impulse  of  her 
simple  vanity,  she  could  not  resist,  on  one  occasion, 
showing  herself  at  the  window  to  enjoy  the  effect  of 
her  finery  on  the  passers-by. 

As  the  fates  would  have  it,  Pedrillo  Pedrugo,  the 
meddlesome  barber,  was  at  this  moment  sitting  idly  in 
his  shop  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street,  when  his 
ever-watchful  eye  caught  the  sparkle  of  a  diamond. 
In  an  instant  he  was  at  his  loophole  reconnoitring  the 
slattern  spouse  of  the  water-carrier,  decorated  with 
the  splendor  of  an  eastern  bride.  No  sooner  had  he 
taken  an  accurate  inventory  of  her  ornaments,  than  he 
posted  off  with  all  speed  to  the  alcalde.  In  a  little  while 
the  hungry  alguazil  was  again  on  the  scent,  and  before 
the  day  was  over  the  unfortunate  Peregil  was  once 
more  dragged  into  the  presence  of  the  judge. 

"  How  is  this,  villain !  "  cried  the  alcalde,  in  a  furi 
ous  voice.  "  You  told  me  that  the  infidel  who  died  in 
your  house  left  nothing  behind  but  an  empty  coffer, 
and  now  I  hear  of  your  wife  flaunting  in  her  rags 
decked  out  with  pearls  and  diamonds.  Wretch  that 
thou  art!  prepare  to  render  up  the  spoils  of  thy  mis 
erable  victim,  and  to  swing  on  the  gallows  that  is  al 
ready  tired  of  waiting  for  thee." 


232  THE  ALHAMBRA 

The  terrified  water-carrier  fell  on  his  knees,  and 
made  a  full  relation  of  the  marvellous  manner  in  which 
he  had  gained  his  wealth.  The  alcalde,  the  alguazil, 
and  the  inquisitive  barber  listened  with  greedy  ears  to 
this  Arabian  tale  of  enchanted  treasure.  The  alguazil 
was  dispatched  to  bring  the  Moor  who  had  assisted  in 
the  incantation.  The  Moslem  entered  half  frightened 
out  of  his  wits  at  finding  himself  in  the  hands  of  the 
harpies  of  the  law.  When  he  beheld  the  water-carrier 
standing  with  sheepish  looks  and  downcast  counte 
nance,  he  comprehended  the  whole  matter.  "  Miser 
able  animal,"  said  he,  as  he  passed  near  him,  "  did  I 
not  warn  thee  against  babbling  to  thy  wife?  " 

The  story  of  the  Moor  coincided  exactly  with  that 
of  his  colleague;  but  the  alcalde  affected  to  be  slow 
of  belief,  and  threw  out  menaces  of  imprisonment  and 
rigorous  investigation. 

"  Softly,  good  Senor  Alcalde,"  said  the  Mussulman, 
who  by  this  time  had  recovered  his  usual  shrewdness 
and  self-possession.  "  Let  us  not  mar  fortune's  favors 
in  the  scramble  for  them.  Nobody  knows  anything  of 
this  matter  but  ourselves ;  let  us  keep  the  secret.  There 
is  wealth  enough  in  the  cave  to  enrich  us  all.  Promise 
a  fair  division,  and  all  shall  be  produced;  refuse,  and 
the  cave  shall  remain  forever  closed." 

The  alcalde  consulted  apart  with  the  alguazil.  The 
latter  was  an  old  fox  in  his  profession.  "  Promise 
anything,"  said  he,  "  until  you  get  possession  of  the 
treasure.  You  may  then  seize  upon  the  whole,  and  if 
he  and  his  accomplice  dare  to  murmur,  threaten  them 
with  the  fagot  and  the  stake  as  infidels  and  sorcerers." 

The  alcalde  relished  the  advice.  Smoothing  his  brow 
and  turning  to  the  Moor,  "  This  is  a  strange  story," 
said  he,  "  and  may  be  true,  but  I  must  have  ocular 
proof  of  it.  This  very  night  you  must  repeat  the  in 
cantation  in  my  presence.  If  there  be  really  such  treas 
ure,  we  will  share  it  amicably  between  us,  and  say 


LEGEND  OF  THE  MOOR'S  LEGACY     233 

nothing  further  of  the  matter;  if  ye  have  deceived  me, 
expect  no  mercy  at  my  hands.  In  the  mean  time  you 
must  remain  in  custody." 

The  Moor  and  the  water-carrier  cheerfully  agreed 
to  these  conditions,  satisfied  that  the  event  would  prove 
the  truth  of  their  words. 

Towards  midnight  the  alcalde  sallied  forth  secretly, 
attended  by  the  alguazil  and  the  meddlesome  barber, 
all  strongly  armed.  They  conducted  the  Moor  and  the 
water-carrier  as  prisoners,  and  were  provided  with  the 
stout  donkey  of  the  latter  to  bear  off  the  expected 
treasure.  They  arrived  at  the  tower  without  being 
observed,  and  tying  the  donkey  to  a  fig-tree,  descended 
into  the  fourth  vault  of  the  tower. 

The  scroll  was  produced,  the  yellow  waxen  taper 
lighted,  and  the  Moor  read  the  form  of  incantation. 
The  earth  trembled  as  before,  and  the  pavement  opened 
with  a  thundering  sound,  disclosing  the  narrow  flight 
of  steps.  The  alcalde,  the  alguazil,  and  the  barber 
were  struck  aghast,  and  could  not  summon  courage  to 
descend.  The  Moor  and  the  water-carrier  entered  the 
lower  vault,  and  found  the  two  Moors  seated  as  before, 
silent  and  motionless.  They  removed  two  of  the  great 
jars,  filled  with  golden  coin  and  precious  stones.  The 
water-carrier  bore  them  up  one  by  one  upon  his  shoul 
ders,  but  though  a  strong-backed  little  man,  and  accus 
tomed  to  carry  burdens,  he  staggered  beneath  their 
weight,  and  found,  when  slung  on  each  side  of  his 
donkey,  they  were  as  much  as  the  animal  could 
bear. 

"  Let  us  be  content  for  the  present,"  said  the  Moor; 
"  here  is  as  much  treasure  as  we  can  carry  off  without 
being  perceived,  and  enough  to  make  us  all  wealthy  to 
our  heart's  desire." 

"Is  there  more  treasure  remaining  behind?"  de 
manded  the  alcalde. 

"  The  greatest  prize  of   all,"    said  the  Moor,    "  a 


234  THE  ALHAMBRA 

huge  coffer  bound  with  bands  of  steel,  and  filled  with 
pearls  and  precious  stones." 

"  Let  us  have  up  the  coffer  by  all  means,"  cried  the 
grasping  alcalde. 

"  I  will  descend  for  no  more,"  said  the  Moor,  dog 
gedly  ;  "  enough  is  enough  for  a  reasonable  man  — 
more  is  superfluous." 

"  And  I,"  said  the  water-carrier,  "  will  bring  up  no 
further  burden  to  break  the  back  of  my  poor  donkey." 

Finding  commands,  threats,  and  entreaties  equally 
vain,  the  alcalde  turned  to  his  two  adherents.  "  Aid 
me,"  said  he,  "  to  bring  up  the  coffer,  and  its  contents 
shall  be  divided  between  us.  So  saying,  he  descended 
the  steps,  followed  with  trembling  reluctance  by  the 
alguazil  and  the  barber. 

No  sooner  did  the  Moor  behold  them  fairly  earthed 
than  he  extinguished  the  yellow  taper;  the  pavement 
closed  with  its  usual  crash,  and  the  three  worthies  re 
mained  buried  in  its  womb. 

He  then  hastened  up  the  different  flight  of  steps,  nor 
stopped  until  in  the  open  air.  The  little  water-carrier 
followed  him  as  fast  as  his  short  legs  would  permit. 

"What  hast  thou  done?"  cried  Peregil,  as  soon  as 
he  could  recover  breath.  "  The  alcalde  and  the  other 
two  are  shut  up  in  the  vault." 

"  It  is  the  will  of  Allah !  "  said  the  Moor,  devoutly. 

"And  will  you  not  release  them?"  demanded  the 
Gallego. 

"  Allah  forbid !  "  replied  the  Moor,  smoothing  his 
beard.  "  It  is  written  in  the  book  of  fate  that  they 
shall  remain  enchanted  until  some  future  adventurer 
arrive  to  break  the  charm.  The  will  of  God  be  done!  " 
so  saying,  he  hurled  the  end  of  the  waxen  taper  far 
among  the  gloomy  thickets  of  the  glen. 

There  was  now  no  remedy;  so  the  Moor  and  the 
water-carrier  proceeded  with  the  richly  laden  donkey 
toward  the  city,  nor  could  honest  Peregil  refrain  from 


LEGEND  OF  THE  MOOR'S  LEGACY     235 

hugging  and  kissing  his  long-eared  fellow-laborer,  thus 
restored  to  him  from  the  clutches  of  the  law ;  and,  in 
fact,  it  is  doubtful  which  gave  the  simple-hearted  little 
man  most  joy  at  the  moment,  the  gaining  of  the  treas 
ure,  or  the  recovery  of  the  donkey. 

The  two  partners  in  good  luck  divided  their  spoil 
amicably  and  fairly,  except  that  the  Moor,  who  had  a 
little  taste  for  trinketry,  made  out  to  get  into  his  heap 
the  most  of  the  pearls  and  precious  stones  and  other 
baubles,  but  then  he  always  gave  the  water-carrier  in 
lieu  magnificent  jewels  of  massy  gold,  of  five  times  the 
size,  with  which  the  latter  was  heartily  content.  They 
took  care  not  to  linger  within  reach  of  accidents,  but 
made  off  to  enjoy  their  wealth  undisturbed  in  other 
countries.  The  Moor  returned  to  Africa,  to  his  native 
city  of  Tangiers,  and  the  Gallego,  with  his  wife,  his 
children,  and  his  donkey,  made  the  best  of  his  way  to 
Portugal.  Here,  under  the  admonition  and  tuition  of 
his  wife,  he  became  a  personage  of  some  consequence, 
for  she  made  the  worthy  little  man  array  his  long  body 
and  short  legs  in  doublet  and  hose,  with  a  feather  in 
his  hat  and  a  sword  by  his  side,  and  laying  aside  his 
familiar  appellation  of  Peregil,  assume  the  more  sono 
rous  title  of  Don  Pedro  Gil:  his  progeny  grew  up  a 
thriving  and  merry-hearted,  though  short  and  bandy 
legged  generation,  while  Seiiora  Gil,  befringed,  be- 
laced,  and  betasselled  from  her  head  to  her  heels,  with 
glittering  rings  on  every  finger,  became  a  model  of 
slattern  fashion  and  finery. 

As  to  the  alcalde  and  his  adjuncts,  they  remained 
shut  up  under  the  great  tower  of  the  seven  floors,  and 
there  they  remain  spell-bound  at  the  present  day. 
Whenever  there  shall  be  a  lack  in  Spain  of  pimping 
barbers,  sharking  alguazils,  and  corrupt  alcaldes,  they 
may  be  sought  after;  but  if  they  have  to  wait  until 
such  time  for  their  deliverance,  there  is  danger  of  their 
enchantment  enduring  until  doomsday. 


236  THE  ALHAMBRA 


THE  TOWER  OF  LAS  INFANTAS 

IN  an  evening's  stroll  up  a  narrow  glen,  overshadowed 
by  fig-trees,  pomegranates,  and  myrtles,  which  divides 
the  lands  of  the  fortress  from  those  of  the  Generalife, 
I  was  struck  with  the  romantic  appearance  of  a  Moor 
ish  tower  in  the  outer  wall  of  the  Alhambra,  rising 
high  above  the  tree-tops,  and  catching  the  ruddy  rays  of 
the  setting  sun.  A  solitary  window  at  a  great  height 
commanded  a  view  of  the  glen ;  and  as  I  was  regarding 
it,  a  young  female  looked  out,  with  her  head  adorned 
with  flowers.  She  was  evidently  superior  to  the  usual 
class  of  people  inhabiting  the  old  towers  of  the  fortress ; 
and  this  sudden  and  picturesque  glimpse  of  her  re 
minded  me  of  the  descriptions  of  captive  beauties  in 
fairy  tales.  These  fanciful  associations  were  increased 
on  being  informed  by  my  attendant  Mateo,  that  this 
was  the  Towrer  of  the  Princesses  (La  Torre  de  las  In 
fantas)  ;  so  called,  from  having  been,  according  to 
tradition,  the  residence  of  the  daughters  of  the  Moor 
ish  kings.  I  have  since  visited  the  tower.  It  is  not 
generally  shown  to  strangers,  though  well  worthy  of 
attention,  for  the  interior  is  equal,  for  beauty  of  archi 
tecture  and  delicacy  of  ornament,  to  any  part  of  the 
palace.  The  elegance  of  the  central  hall,  with  its 
marble  fountain,  its  lofty  arches,  and  richly  fretted 
dome;  the  arabesques  and  stucco-work  of  the  small 
but  well-proportioned  chambers,  though  injured  by 
time  and  neglect,  all  accord  with  the  story  of  its  being 
anciently  the  abode  of  royal  beauty. 

The  little  old  fairy  queen  who  lives  under  the  stair 
case  of  the  Alhambra,  and  frequents  the  evening  ter- 
tulias  of  Dame  Antonia,  tells  some  fanciful  traditions 
about  three  Moorish  princesses  who  were  once  shut 


LEGEND  OF  THE  THREE  PRINCESSES    237 

up  in  this  tower  by  their  father,  a  tyrant  king  of  Gra 
nada,  and  were  only  permitted  to  ride  out  at  night 
about  the  hills,  when  no  one  was  permitted  to  come 
in  their  way  under  pain  of  death.  They  still,  accord 
ing  to  her  account,  may  be  seen  occasionally  when  the 
moon  is  in  the  full,  riding  in  lonely  places  along  the 
mountain-side,  on  palfreys  richly  caparisoned  and 
sparkling  with  jewels,  but  they  vanish  on  being 
spoken  to. 

But  before  I  relate  anything  further  respecting  these 
princesses,  the  reader  may  be  anxious  to  know  some 
thing  about  the  fair  inhabitant  of  the  tower,  with  her 
head  dressed  with  flowers,  who  looked  out  from  the 
lofty  window.  She  proved  to  be  the  newly  married 
spouse  of  the  worthy  adjutant  of  invalids;  who,  though 
well  stricken  in  years,  had  had  the  courage  to  take  to 
his  bosom  a  young  and  buxom  Andalusian  damsel.  May 
the  good  old  cavalier  be  happy  in  his  choice,  and  find 
the  Tower  of  the  Princesses  a  more  secure  residence  for 
female  beauty  than  it  seems  to  have  proved  in  the  time 
of  the  Moslems,  if  we  may  believe  the  following 
legend ! 


LEGEND  OF  THE  THREE  BEAUTIFUL 
PRINCESSES 

IN  old  times  there  reigned  a  Moorish  king  in  Granada, 
whose  name  was  Mohamed,  to  which  his  subjects 
added  the  appellation  of  El  Hayzari,  or  "  The  Left- 
handed."  Some  say  he  was  so  called  on  account  of 
his  being  really  more  expert  with  his  sinister  than  his 
dexter  hand ;  others,  because  he  was  prone  to  take 
everything  by  the  wrong  end,  or,  in  other  words,  to 
mar  wherever  he  meddled.  Certain  it  is,  either  through 


238  THE  ALHAMBRA 

misfortune  or  mismanagement,  he  was  continually  in 
trouble :  thrice  was  he  driven  from  his  throne,  and  on 
one  occasion  barely  escaped  to  Africa  with  his  life,  in 
the  disguise  of  a  fisherman.1  Still  he  was  as  brave  as 
he  was  blundering;  and  though  left-handed,  wielded 
his  cimeter  to  such  purpose,  that  he  each  time  re 
established  himself  upon  his  throne  by  dint  of  hard 
fighting.  Instead,  however,  of  learning  wisdom  from 
adversity,  he  hardened  his  neck,  and  stiffened  his  left 
arm  in  wilfulness.  The  evils  of  a  public  nature  which 
he  thus  brought  upon  himself  and  his  kingdom  may 
be  learned  by  those  who  will  delve  into  the  Arabian 
annals  of  Granada;  the  present  legend  deals  but  with 
his  domestic  policy. 

As  this  Mohamed  was  one  day  riding  forth  with 
a  train  of  his  courtiers,  by  the  foot  of  the  mountain  of 
Elvira,  he  met  a  band  of  horsemen  returning  from  a 
foray  into  the  land  of  the  Christians.  They  were  con 
ducting  a  long  string  of  mules  laden  with  spoil,  and 
many  captives  of  both  sexes,  among  whom  the  mon 
arch  was  struck  with  the  appearance  of  a  beautiful 
damsel,  richly  attired,  who  sat  weeping  on  a  low  pal 
frey,  and  heeded  not  the  consoling  words  of  a  duenna 
who  rode  beside  her. 

The  monarch  was  struck  with  her  beauty,  and,  on 
inquiring  of  the  captain  of  the  troop,  found  that  she 
was  the  daughter  of  the  alcayde  of  a  frontier  fortress, 
that  had  been  surprised  and  sacked  in  the  course  of 
the  foray.  Mohamed  claimed  her  as  his  royal  share 
of  the  booty,  and  had  her  conveyed  to  his  harem  in 
the  Alhambra.  There  everything  was  devised  to  soothe 
her  melancholy ;  and  the  monarch,  more  and  more  en 
amored,  sought  to  make  her  his  queen.  The  Spanish 
maid  at  first  repulsed  his  addresses :  he  was  an  infidel ; 

1  The  reader  will  recognize  the  sovereign  connected  with  the 
fortunes  of  the  Abencerrages.  His  story  appears  to  be  a  little 
fictionized  in  the  legend. 


LEGEND  OF  THE  THREE  PRINCESSES    239 

he  was  the  open  foe  of  her  country;  what  was  worse, 
he  was  stricken  in  years! 

The  monarch,  finding  his  assiduities  of  no  avail,  de 
termined  to  enlist  in  his  favor  the  duenna,  who  had 
been  captured  with  the  lady.  She  was  an  Andalusian 
by  birth,  whose  Christian  name  is  forgotten,  being 
mentioned  in  Moorish  legends  by  no  other  appellation 
than  that  of  the  discreet  Kadiga;  and  discreet  in  truth 
she  was,  as  her  whole  history  makes  evident.  No 
sooner  had  the  Moorish  king  held  a  little  private  con 
versation  with  her,  than  she  saw  at  once  the  cogency 
of  his  reasoning,  and  undertook  his  cause  with  her 
young  mistress. 

"  Go  to,  now!  "  cried  she;  "  what  is  there  in  all  this 
to  weep  and  wail  about  ?  Is  it  not  better  to  be  mistress 
of  this  beautiful  palace,  with  all  its  gardens  and  foun 
tains,  than  to  be  shut  up  within  your  father's  old 
frontier  tower?  As  to  this  Mohamed  being  an  infidel, 
what  is  that  to  the  purpose?  You  marry  him,  not  his 
religion ;  and  if  he  is  waxing  a  little  old,  the  sooner 
will  you  be  a  widow,  and  mistress  of  yourself ;  at  any 
rate,  you  are  in  his  power,  and  must  either  be  a  queen 
or  a  slave.  When  in  the  hands  of  a  robber,  it  is  better 
to  sell  one's  merchandise  for  a  fair  price,  than  to  have 
it  taken  by  main  force." 

The  arguments  of  the  discreet  Kadiga  prevailed. 
The  Spanish  lady  dried  her  tears,  and  became  the 
spouse  of  Mohamed  the  Left-handed;  she  even  con 
formed,  in  appearance,  to  the  faith  of  her  royal  hus 
band  ;  and  her  discreet  duenna  immediately  became  a 
zealous  convert  to  the  Moslem  doctrines :  it  was  then 
the  latter  received  the  Arabian  name  of  Kadiga,  and 
was  permitted  to  remain  in  the  confidential  employ  of 
her  mistress. 

In  due  process  of  time  the  Moorish  king  was  made 
the  proud  and  happy  father  of  three  lovely  daughters, 
all  born  at  a  birth :  he  could  have  wished  they  had  been 


240  THE  ALHAMBRA 

sons,  but  consoled  himself  with  the  idea  that  three 
daughters  at  a  birth  were  pretty  well  for  a  man  some 
what  stricken  in  years,  and  left-handed ! 

As  usual  with  all  Moslem  monarchs,  he  summoned 
his  astrologers  on  this  happy  event.  They  cast  the 
nativities  of  the  three  princesses,  and  shook  their  heads. 
"Daughters,  O  king!"  said  they,  "are  always  pre 
carious  property ;  but  these  will  most  need  your  watch 
fulness  when  they  arrive  at  a  marriageable  age;  at 
that  time  gather  them  under  your  wings,  and  trust 
them  to  no  other  guardianship." 

Mohamed  the  Left-handed  was  acknowledged  to  be 
a  wise  king  by  his  courtiers,  and  was  certainly  so  con 
sidered  by  himself.  The  prediction  of  the  astrologers 
caused  him  but  little  disquiet,  trusting  to  his  ingenuity 
to  guard  his  daughters  and  outwit  the  Fates. 

The  threefold  birth  was  the  last  matrimonial  trophy 
of  the  monarch ;  his  queen  bore  him  no  more  children, 
and  died  within  a  few  years,  bequeathing  her  infant 
daughters  to  his  love,  and  to  the  fidelity  of  the  discreet 
Kadiga. 

Many  years  had  yet  to  elapse  before  the  princesses 
would  arrive  at  that  period  of  danger  —  the  marriage 
able  age.  "It  is  good,  however,  to  be  cautious  in 
time,"  said  the  shrewd  monarch;  so  he  determined  to 
have  them  reared  in  the  royal  castle  of  Salobrena. 
This  was  a  sumptuous  palace,  incrusted,  as  it  were,  in 
a  powerful  Moorish  fortress  on  the  summit  of  a  hill 
overlooking  the  Mediterranean  Sea.  It  was  a  royal 
retreat,  in  which  the  Moslem  monarchs  shut  up  such 
of  their  relatives  as  might  endanger  their  safety;  al 
lowing  them  all  kinds  of  luxuries  and  amusements,  in 
the  midst  of  which  they  passed  their  lives  in  voluptuous 
indolence. 

Here  the  princesses  remained,  immured  from  the 
world,  but  surrounded  by  enjoyment,  and  attended  by 
female  slaves  who  anticipated  their  wishes.  They  had 


LEGEND  OF  THE  THREE  PRINCESSES    241 

delightful  gardens  for  their  recreation,  filled  with  the 
rarest  fruits  and  flowers,  with  aromatic  groves  and  per 
fumed  baths.  On  three  sides  the  castle  looked  down 
upon  a  rich  valley,  enamelled  with  all  kinds  of  culture, 
and  bounded  by  the  lofty  Alpuxarra  mountains ;  on  the 
other  side  it  overlooked  the  broad  sunny  sea. 

In  this  delicious  abode,  in  a  propitious  climate,  and 
under  a  cloudless  sky,  the  three  princesses  grew  up  into 
wondrous  beauty;  but,  though  all  reared  alike,  they 
gave  early  tokens  of  diversity  of  character.  Their 
names  were  Zayda,  Zorayda,  and  Zorahayda;  and 
such  was  their  order  of  seniority,  for  there  had  been 
precisely  three  minutes  between  their  births. 

Zayda,  the  eldest,  was  of  an  intrepid  spirit,  and  took 
the  lead  of  her  sisters  in  everything,  as  she  had  done 
in  entering  into  the  world.  She  was  curious  and  in 
quisitive,  and  fond  of  getting  at  the  bottom  of  things. 

Zorayda  had  a  great  feeling  for  beauty,  which  was 
the  reason,  no  doubt,  of  her  delighting  to  regard  her 
own  image  in  a  mirror  or  a  fountain,  and  of  her 
fondness  for  flowers,  and  jewels,  and  other  tasteful 
ornaments. 

As  to  Zorahayda,  the  youngest,  she  was  soft  and 
timid,  and  extremely  sensitive,  with  a  vast  deal  of  dis 
posable  tenderness,  as  was  evident  from  her  number 
of  pet-flowers,  and  pet-birds,  and  pet-animals,  all  of 
which  she  cherished  with  the  fondest  care.  Her  amuse 
ments,  too,  were  of  a  gentle  nature,  and  mixed  up 
with  musing  and  reverie.  She  would  sit  for  hours  in 
a  balcony,  gazing  on  the  sparkling  stars  of  a  summer's 
night,  or  on  the  sea  when  lit  up  by  the  moon ;  and  at 
such  times,  the  song  of  a  fisherman,  faintly  heard  from 
the  beach,  or  the  notes  of  a  Moorish  flute  from  some 
gliding  bark,  sufficed  to  elevate  her  feelings  into 
ecstasy.  The  least  uproar  of  the  elements,  however, 
filled  her  with  dismay ;  and  a  clap  of  thunder  was 
enough  to  throw  her  into  a  swoon. 

16 


242  THE  ALHAMBRA 

Years  rolled  on  smoothly  and  serenely;  the  discreet 
Kadiga,  to  whom  the  princesses  were  confided,  was 
faithful  to  her  trust,  and  attended  them  with  unre 
mitting  care. 

The  castle  of  Salobrena,  as  has  been  said,  was  built 
upon  a  hill  on  the  sea-coast.  One  of  the  exterior  walls 
straggled  down  the  profile  of  the  hill,  until  it  reached 
a  jutting  rock  overhanging  the  sea,  with  a  narrow 
sandy  beach  at  its  foot,  laved  by  the  rippling  billows. 
A  small  watch-tower  on  this  rock  had  been  fitted  up  as 
a  pavilion,  with  latticed  windows  to  admit  the  sea- 
breeze.  Here  the  princesses  used  to  pass  the  sultry 
hours  of  mid-day. 

The  curious  Zayda  was  one  day  seated  at  a  window 
of  the  pavilion,  as  her  sisters,  reclining  on  ottomans, 
were  taking  the  siesta  or  noontide  slumber.  Her  at 
tention  was  attracted  to  a  galley  which  came  coasting 
along,  with  measured  strokes  of  the  oar.  As  it  drew 
near,  she  observed  that  it  was  filled  with  armed  men. 
The  galley  anchored  at  the  foot  of  the  tower:  a 
number  of  Moorish  soldiers  landed  on  the  narrow 
beach,  conducting  several  Christian  prisoners.  The 
curious  Zayda  awakened  her  sisters,  and  all  three 
peeped  cautiously  through  the  close  jalousies  of  the 
lattice  which  screened  them  from  sight.  Among  the 
prisoners  were  three  Spanish  cavaliers,  richly  dressed. 
They  were  in  the  flower  of  youth,  and  of  noble 
presence;  and  the  lofty  manner  in  which  they  carried 
themselves,  though  loaded  with  chains  and  surrounded 
with  enemies,  bespoke  the  grandeur  of  their  souls. 
The  princesses  gazed  with  intense  and  breathless  in 
terest.  Cooped  up  as  they  had  been  in  this  castle 
among  female  attendants,  seeing  nothing  of  the  male 
sex  but  black  slaves,  or  the  rude  fishermen  of  the  sea- 
coast,  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  the  appearance 
of  three  gallant  cavaliers,  in  the  pride  of  youth  and 
manly  beauty,  should  produce  some  commotion  in 
their  bosom. 


LEGEND  OF  THE  THREE  PRINCESSES    243 

"  Did  ever  nobler  being  tread  the  earth  than  that 
cavalier  in  crimson?"  cried  Zayda,  the  eldest  of  the 
sisters.  "  See  how  proudly  he  bears  himself,  as  though 
all  around  him  were  his  slaves !  " 

"  But  notice  that  one  in  green!  "  exclaimed  Zorayda. 
"What  grace!  what  elegance!  what  spirit!" 

The  gentle  Zorahayda  said  nothing,  but  she  secretly 
gave  preference  to  the  cavalier  in  blue. 

The  princesses  remained  gazing  until  the  prisoners 
were  out  of  sight ;  then  heaving  long-drawn  sighs, 
they  turned  round,  looked  at  each  other  for  a  mo 
ment,  and  sat  down,  musing  and  pensive,  on  their 
ottomans. 

The  discreet  Kadiga  found  them  in  this  situation; 
they  related  what  they  had  seen,  and  even  the  withered 
heart  of  the  duenna  was  warmed.  "Poor  youths!" 
exclaimed  she,  "  I  '11  warrant  their  captivity  makes 
many  a  fair  and  high-born  lady's  heart  ache  in  their 
native  land  !  Ah  !  my  children,  you  have  little  idea  of 
the  life  these  cavaliers  lead  in  their  own  country.  Such 
prankling  at  tournaments !  such  devotion  to  the  ladies ! 
such  courting  and  serenading!" 

The  curiosity  of  Zayda.  was  fully  aroused;  she  was 
insatiable  in  her  inquiries,  and  drew  from  the  duenna 
the  most  animated  pictures  of  the  scenes  of  her  youth 
ful  days  and  native  land.  The  beautiful  Zorayda 
bridled  up,  and  slyly  regarded  herself  in  a  mirror, 
when  the  theme  turned  upon  the  charms  of  the  Spanish 
ladies ;  while  Zorahayda  suppressed  a  struggling  sigh 
at  the  mention  of  moonlight  serenades. 

Every  day  the  curious  Zayda  renewed  her  inquiries, 
and  every  day  the  sage  duenna  repeated  her  stories, 
which  were  listened  to  with  profound  interest,  though 
with  frequent  sighs,  by  her  gentle  auditors.  The  dis 
creet  old  woman  awoke  at  length  to  the  mischief  she 
might  be  doing.  She  had  been  accustomed  to  think 
of  the  princesses  only  as  children ;  but  they  had  imper- 


244  THE  ALHAMBRA 

ceptibly  ripened  beneath  her  eye,  and  now  bloomed 
before  her  three  lovely  damsels  of  the  marriageable 
age.  It  is  time,  thought  the  duenna,  to  give  notice  to 
the  king. 

Mohamed  the  Left-handed  was  seated  one  morning 
on  a  divan  in  a  cool  hall  of  the  Alhambra,  when  a 
slave  arrived  from  the  fortress  of  Salobrefia,  with  a 
message  from  the  sage  Kadiga,  congratulating  him 
on  the  anniversary  of  his  daughters'  birth-day.  The 
slave  at  the  same  time  presented  a  delicate  little  basket 
decorated  with  flowers,  within  which,  on  a  couch  of 
vine  and  fig-leaves,  lay  a  peach,  an  apricot,  and  a  nec 
tarine,  with  their  bloom  and  down  and  dewy  sweetness 
upon  them,  and  all  in  the  early  stage  of  tempting 
ripeness.  The  monarch  was  versed  in  the  Oriental 
language  of  fruits  and  flowers,  and  rapidly  divined 
the  meaning  of  this  emblematical  offering. 

"  So,"  said  he,  "  the  critical  period  pointed  out  by 
the  astrologers  is  arrived :  my  daughters  are  at  a  mar 
riageable  age.  What  is  to  be  done?  They  are  shut 
up  from  the  eyes  of  men;  they  are  under  the  eyes  of 
the  discreet  Kadiga,  —  all  very  good,  —  but  still  they 
are  not  under  my  own  eye,  as  was  prescribed  by  the 
astrologers :  I  must  gather  them  under  my  wing,  and 
trust  to  no  other  guardianship." 

So  saying,  he  ordered  that  a  tower  of  the  Alhambra 
should  be  prepared  for  their  reception,  and  departed 
at  the  head  of  his  guards  for  the  fortress  of  Salobrena, 
to  conduct  them  home  in  person. 

About  three  years  had  elapsed  since  Mohamed  had 
beheld  his  daughters,  and  he  could  scarcely  credit  his 
eyes  at  the  wonderful  change  which  that  small  space 
of  time  had  made  in  their  appearance.  During  the 
interval,  they  had  passed  that  wondrous  boundary  line 
in  female  life  which  separates  the  crude,  unformed, 
and  thoughtless  girl  from  the  blooming,  blushing,  medi 
tative  woman.  It  is  like  passing  from  the  flat,  bleak, 


LEGEND  OF  THE  THREE  PRINCESSES    245 

uninteresting  plains  of  La  Mancha  to  the  voluptuous 
valleys  and  swelling  hills  of  Andalusia. 

Zayda  was  tall  and  finely  formed,  with  a  lofty  de 
meanor  and  a  penetrating  eye.  She  entered  with  a 
stately  and  decided  step,  and  made  a  profound  rever 
ence  to  Mohamed,  treating  him  more  as  her  sovereign 
than  her  father.  Zorayda  was  of  the  middle  height, 
with  an  alluring  look  and  swimming  gait,  and  a  spar 
kling  beauty,  heightened  by  the  assistance  of  the  toilette. 
She  approached  her  father  with  a  smile,  kissed  his 
hand,  and  saluted  him  with  several  stanzas  from  a 
popular  Arabian  poet,  with  which  the  monarch  was 
delighted.  Zorahayda  was  shy  and  timid,  smaller 
than  her  sisters,  and  with  a  beauty  of  that  tender  be 
seeching  kind  which  looks  for  fondness  and  protection. 
She  was  little  fitted  to  command,  like  her  elder  sister, 
or  to  dazzle  like  the  second,  but  was  rather  formed  to 
creep  to  the  bosom  of  manly  affection,  to  nestle  within 
it,  and  be  content.  She  drew  near  to  her  father,  with 
a  timid  and  almost  faltering  step,  and  would  have  taken 
his  hand  to  kiss,  but  on  looking  up  into  his  face,  and 
seeing  it  beaming  with  a  paternal  smile,  the  tenderness 
of  her  nature  broke  forth,  and  she  threw  herself  upon 
his  neck. 

Mohamed  the  Left-handed  surveyed  his  blooming 
daughters  with  mingled  pride  and  perplexity,  for 
while  he  exulted  in  their  charms,  he  bethought  him 
self  of  the  prediction  of  the  astrologers.  "  Three 
daughters !  three  daughters !  "  muttered  he  repeatedly 
to  himself,  "and  all  of  a  marriageable  age!  Here's 
tempting  Hesperian  fruit,  that  requires  a  dragon 
watch!" 

He  prepared  for  his  return  to  Granada,  by  sending 
heralds  before  him,  commanding  every  one  to  keep 
out  of  the  road  by  which  he  was  to  pass,  and  that  all 
doors  and  windows  should  be  closed  at  the  approach 
of  the  princesses.  This  done,  he  set  forth,  escorted 


246  THE  ALHAMBRA 

by  a  troop  of  black  horsemen  of  hideous  aspect,  and 
clad  in  shining  armor. 

The  princesses  rode  beside  the  king,  closely  veiled, 
on  beautiful  white  palfreys,  with  velvet  caparisons, 
embroidered  with  gold,  and  sweeping  the  ground ;  the 
bits  and  stirrups  were  of  gold,  and  the  silken  bridles 
adorned  with  pearls  and  precious  stones.  The  pal 
freys  were  covered  with  little  silver  bells,  which  made 
the  most  musical  tinkling  as  they  ambled  gently  along. 
Woe  to  the  unlucky  wight,  however,  who  lingered  in 
the  way  when  he  heard  the  tinkling  of  these  bells !  — 
the  guards  were  ordered  to  cut  him  down  without 
mercy. 

The  cavalcade  was  drawing  near  to  Granada,  when 
it  overtook,  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Xenil,  a  small 
body  of  Moorish  soldiers  with  a  convoy  of  prisoners. 
It  was  too  late  for  the  soldiers  to  get  out  of  the  way, 
so  they  threw  themselves  on  their  faces  on  the  earth, 
ordering  their  captives  to  do  the  like.  Among  the 
prisoners  were  the  three  identical  cavaliers  whom  the 
princesses  had  seen  from  the  pavilion.  They  either 
did  not  understand,  or  were  too  haughty  to  obey  the 
order,  and  remained  standing  and  gazing  upon  the 
cavalcade  as  it  approached. 

The  ire  of  the  monarch  was  kindled  at  this  flagrant 
defiance  of  his  orders.  Drawing  his  cimeter,  and  press 
ing  forward,  he  was  about  to  deal  a  left-handed  blow 
that  might  have  been  fatal  to  at  least  one  of  the  gazers, 
when  the  princesses  crowded  round  him,  and  implored 
mercy  for  the  prisoners;  even  the  timid  Zorahayda 
forgot  her  shyness,  and  became  eloquent  in  their  be 
half.  Mohamed  paused,  with  uplifted  cimeter,  when 
the  captain  of  the  guard  threw  himself  at  his  feet. 
"  Let  not  your  highness,"  said  he,  "  do  a  deed  that 
may  cause  great  scandal  throughout  the  kingdom. 
These  are  three  brave  and*noble  Spanish  knights,  who 
have  been  taken  in  battle,  fighting  like  lions ;  they  are 


LEGEND  OF  THE  THREE  PRINCESSES    247 

of  high  birth,  and  may  bring  great  ransoms."  — 
"  Enough !  "  said  the  king.  "  I  will  spare  their  lives, 
but  punish  their  audacity  —  let  them  be  taken  to  the 
Vermilion  Towers,  and  put  to  hard  labor." 

Mohamed  was  making  one  of  his  usual  left-handed 
blunders.  In  the  tumult  and  agitation  of  this  bluster 
ing  scene,  the  veils  of  the  three  princesses  had  been 
thrown  back,  and  the  radiance  of  their  beauty  re 
vealed  ;  and  in  prolonging  the  parley,  the  king  had 
given  that  beauty  time  to  have  its  full  effect.  In  those 
days  people  fell  in  love  much  more  suddenly  than  at 
present,  as  all  ancient  stories  make  manifest :  it  is 
not  a  matter  of  wonder,  therefore,  that  the  hearts  of 
the  three  cavaliers  were  completely  captured ;  espe 
cially  as  gratitude  was  added  to  their  admiration;  it 
is  a  little  singular,  however,  though  no  less  certain, 
that  each  of  them  was  enraptured  with  a  several  beauty. 
As  to  the  princesses,  they  were  more  than  ever  struck 
with  the  noble  demeanor  of  the  captives,  and  cherished 
in  their  breasts  all  that  they  had  heard  of  their  valor 
and  noble  lineage. 

The  cavalcade  resumed  its  march;  the  three  prin 
cesses  rode  pensively  along  on  their  tinkling  palfreys, 
now  and  then  stealing  a  glance  behind  in  search  of  the 
Christian  captives,  and  the  latter  were  conducted  to 
their  allotted  prison  in  the  Vermilion  Towers. 

The  residence  provided  for  the  princesses  was  one 
of  the  most  dainty  that  fancy  could  devise.  It  was  in 
a  tower  somewhat  apart  from  the  main  palace  of  the 
Alhambra,  though  connected  with  it  by  the  wall  which 
encircled  the  whole  summit  of  the  hill.  On  one  side 
it  looked  into  the  interior  of  the  fortress,  and  had,  at 
its  foot,  a  small  garden  filled  with  the  rarest  flowers. 
On  the  other  side  it  overlooked  a  deep  embowered 
ravine  separating  the  grounds  of  the  Alhambra  from 
those  of  the  Generalife.  The  interior  of  the  tower 
was  divided  into  small  fairy  apartments,  beautifully 


248  THE  ALHAMBRA 

ornamented  in  the  light  Arabian  style,  surrounding  a 
lofty  hall,  the  vaulted  roof  of  which  rose  almost  to 
the  summit  of  the  tower.  The  walls  and  the  ceilings 
of  the  hall  were  adorned  with  arabesque  and  fretwork, 
sparkling  with  gold  and  with  brilliant  pencilling.  In 
the  centre  of  the  marble  pavement  was  an  alabaster 
fountain,  set  round  with  aromatic  shrubs  and  flowers, 
and  throwing  up  a  jet  of  water  that  cooled  the  whole 
edifice  and  had  a  lulling  sound.  Round  the  hall  were 
suspended  cages  of  gold  and  silver  wire,  containing 
•singingnbirds  of  the  finest  plumage  or  sweetest 
note. 

The  princesses  had  been  represented  as  always 
cheerful  when  in  the  castle  of  the  Salobrefia;  the 
king  had  expected  to  see  them  enraptured  with  the 
Alhambra.  To  his  surprise,  however,  they  began  to 
pine,  and  grow  melancholy,  and  dissatisfied  with  every 
thing  around  them.  The  flowers  yielded  them  no 
fragrance,  the  song  of  the  nightingale  disturbed  their 
night's  rest,  and  they  were  out  of  all  patience  with  the 
alabaster  fountain,  with  its  eternal  drop-drop  and 
splash-splash,  from  morning  till  night  and  from  night 
till  morning. 

The  king,  who  was  somewhat  of  a  testy,  tyrannical 
disposition,  took  this  at  first  in  high  dudgeon;  but 
he  reflected  that  his  daughters  had  arrived  at  an  age 
when  the  female  mind  expands  and  its  desires  aug 
ment.  "  They  are  no  longer  children,"  said  he  to  him 
self,  "  they  are  women  grown,  and  require  suitable 
objects  to  interest  them."  He  put  in  requisition,  there 
fore,  all  the  dressmakers,  and  the  jewellers,  and  the 
artificers  in  gold  and  silver  throughout  the  Zacatin  of 
Granada,  and  the  princesses  were  overwhelmed  with 
robes  of  silk,  and  tissue,  and  brocade,  and  cashmere 
shawls,  and  necklaces  of  pearls  and  diamonds,  and 
rings,  and  bracelets,  and  anklets,  and  all  manner  of 
precious  things. 


LEGEND  OF  THE  THREE  PRINCESSES    249 

All,  however,  was  of  no  avail;  the  princesses  con 
tinued  pale  and  languid  in  the  midst  of  their  finery, 
and  looked  like  three  blighted  rose-buds,  drooping 
from  one  stalk.  The  king  was  at  his  wits'  end.  He 
had  in  general  a  laudable  confidence  in  his  own  judg 
ment,  and  never  took  advice.  "  The  whims  and  ca 
prices  of  three  marriageable  damsels,  however,  are 
sufficient,"  said  he,  "  to  puzzle  the  shrewdest  head." 
So  for  once  in  his  life  he  called  in  the  aid  of  counsel. 

The  person  to  whom  he  applied  was  the  experienced 
duenna. 

"  Kadiga,"  said  the  king,  "  I  know  you  to  be  one 
of  the  most  discreet  women  in  the  whole  world,  as 
well  as  one  of  the  most  trustworthy ;  for  these  reasons 
I  have  always  continued  you  about  the  persons  of  my 
daughters.  Fathers  cannot  be  too  wary  in  whom  they 
repose  such  confidence;  I  now  wish  you  to  find  out 
the  secret  malady  that  is  preying  upon  the  princesses, 
and  to  devise  some  means  of  restoring  them  to  health 
and  cheerfulness." 

Kadiga  promised  implicit  obedience.  In  fact  she 
knew  more  of  the  malady  of  the  princesses  than  they 
themselves.  Shutting  herself  up  with  them,  how 
ever,  she  endeavored  to  insinuate  herself  into  their 
confidence. 

"  My  dear  children,  what  is  the  reason  you  are  so 
dismal  and  downcast  in  so  beautiful  a  place,  where  you 
have  everything  that  heart  can  wish?  " 

The  princesses  looked  vacantly  round  the  apartment, 
and  sighed. 

"What  more,  then,  would  you  have?  Shall  I  get 
you  the  wonderful  parrot  that  talks  all  languages,  and 
is  the  delight  of  Granada?" 

"  Odious !  "  exclaimed  the  princess  Zayda.  "  A 
horrid,  screaming  bird,  that  chatters  words  without 
ideas :  one  must  be  without  brains  to  tolerate  such  a 
pest." 


250  THE  ALHAMBRA 

"  Shall  I  send  for  a  monkey  from  the  rock  of  Gib 
raltar,  to  divert  you  with  his  antics  ?  " 

"A  monkey!  faugh!"  cried  Zorayda;  "the  de 
testable  mimic  of  man.  I  hate  the  nauseous  animal." 

"  What  say  you  to  the  famous  black  singer  Casern, 
from  the  royal  harem,  in  Morocco?  They  say  he  has 
a  voice  as  fine  as  a  woman's." 

"  I  am  terrified  at  the  sight  of  these  black  slaves," 
said  the  delicate  Zorahayda;  "besides,  I  have  lost  all 
relish  for  music." 

"Ah!  my  child,  you  would  not  say  so,"  replied  the 
old  woman,  slyly,  "  had  you  heard  the  music  I  heard 
last  evening,  from  the  three  Spanish  cavaliers  whom 
we  met  on  our  journey.  But  bless  me,  children !  what 
is  the  matter  that  you  blush  so  and  are  in  such  a 
flutter  ?  " 

"Nothing,  nothing,  good  mother;    pray  proceed." 

"  Well ;  as  I  was  passing  by  the  Vermilion  Towers 
last  evening,  I  saw  the  three  cavaliers  resting  after 
their  day's  labor.  One  was  playing  on  the  guitar,  so 
gracefully,  and  the  others  sang  by  turns;  and  they 
did  it  in  such  style,  that  the  very  guards  seemed  like 
statues,  or  men  enchanted.  Allah  forgive  me !  I  could 
not  help  being  moved  at  hearing  the  songs  of  my 
native  country.  And  then  to  see  three  such  noble  and 
handsome  youths  in  chains  and  slavery !  " 

Here  the  kind-hearted  old  woman  could  not  restrain 
her  tears. 

"  Perhaps,  mother,  you  could  manage  to  procure  us 
a  sight  of  these  cavaliers,"  said  Zayda. 

"  I  think,"  said  Zorayda,  "  a  little  music  would  be 
quite  reviving." 

The  timid  Zorahayda  said  nothing,  but  threw  her 
arms  round  the  neck  of  Kadiga. 

"  Mercy  on  me !  "  exclaimed  the  discreet  old  wo 
man  ;  "  what  are  you  talking  of,  my  children  ?  Your 
father  would  be  the  death  of  us  all  if  he  heard  of  such 


LEGEND  OF  THE  THREE  PRINCESSES    251 

a  thing.  To  be  sure,  these  cavaliers  are  evidently  well- 
bred,  and  high-minded  youths;  but  what  of  that? 
they  are  the  enemies  of  our  faith,  and  you  must  not 
even  think  of  them  but  with  abhorrence." 

There  is  an  admirable  intrepidity  in  the  female  will, 
particularly  when  about  the  marriageable  age,  which 
is  not  to  be  deterred  by  dangers  and  prohibitions. 
The  princesses  hung  round  their  old  duenna,  and 
coaxed,  and  entreated,  and  declared  that  a  refusal 
would  break  their  hearts. 

What  could  she  do?  She  was  certainly  the  most 
discreet  old  woman  in  the  whole  world,  and  one  of 
the  most  faithful  servants  to  the  king;  but  was  she  to 
see  three  beautiful  princesses  break  their  hearts  for 
the  mere  tinkling  of  a  guitar?  Besides,  though  she 
had  been  so  long  among  the  Moors,  and  changed  her 
faith  in  imitation  of  her  mistress,  like  a  trusty  fol 
lower,  yet  she  was  a  Spaniard  born,  and  had  the  linger- 
ings  of  Christianity  in  her  heart.  So  she  set  about 
to  contrive  how  the  wish  of  the  princesses  might  be 
gratified. 

The  Christian  captives,  confined  in  the  Vermilion 
Towers,  were  under  the  charge  of  a  big-whiskered, 
broad-shouldered  renegade,  called  Hussein  Baba,  who 
was  reputed  to  have  a  most  itching  palm.  She  went 
to  him  privately,  and  slipping  a  broad  piece  of  gold 
into  his  hand,  "Hussein  Baba,"  said  she;  "my  mis 
tresses  the  three  princesses,  who  are  shut  up  in  the 
tower,  and  in  sad  want  of  amusement,  have  heard  of 
the  musical  talents  of  the  three  Spanish  cavaliers,  and 
are  desirous  of  hearing  a  specimen  of  their  skill.  I 
am  sure  you  are  too  kind-hearted  to  refuse  them  so 
innocent  a  gratification." 

"  What !  and  to  have  my  head  set  grinning  over  the 
gate  of  my  own  tower !  for  that  would  be  the  reward, 
if  the  king  should  discover  it." 

"  No  danger  of  anything  of  the  kind ;    the  affair 


252  THE  ALHAMBRA 

may  be  managed  so  that  the  whim  of  the  princesses 
may  be  gratified,  and  their  father  be  never  the  wiser. 
You  know  the  deep  ravine  outside  of  the  walls  which 
passes  immediately  below  the  tower.  Put  the  three 
Christians  to  work  there,  and  at  the  intervals  of  their 
labor,  let  them  play  and  sing,  as  if  for  their  own  rec 
reation.  In  this  way  the  princesses  will  be  able  to  hear 
them  from  the  windows  of  the  tower,  and  you  may  be 
sure  of  their  paying  well  for  your  compliance." 

As  the  good  old  woman  concluded  her  harangue, 
she  kindly  pressed  the  rough  hand  of  the  renegado, 
and  left  within  it  another  piece  of  gold. 

Her  eloquence  was  irresistible.  The  very  next  day 
the  three  cavaliers  were  put  to  work  in  the  ravine. 
During  the  noontide  heat,  when  their  fellow-laborers 
were  sleeping  in  the  shade,  and  the  guard  nodding 
drowsily  at  his  post,  they  seated  themselves  among 
the  herbage  at  the  foot  of  the  tower,  and  sang  a 
Spanish  roundelay  to  the  accompaniment  of  the 
guitar. 

The  glen  was  deep,  the  tower  was  high,  but  their 
voices  rose  distinctly  in  the  stillness  of  the  summer 
noon.  The  princesses  listened  from  their  balcony,  they 
had  been  taught  the  Spanish  language  by  their  duenna, 
and  were  moved  by  the  tenderness  of  the  song.  The 
discreet  Kadiga,  on  the  contrary,  was  terribly  shocked. 
"Allah  preserve  us!"  cried  she,  "they  are  singing  a 
love-ditty,  addressed  to  yourselves.  Did  ever  mortal 
hear  of  such  audacity?  I  will  run  to  the  slave-master, 
and  have  them  soundly  bastinadoed." 

"  What !  bastinado  such  gallant  cavaliers,  and  for 
singing  so  charmingly!"  The  three  beautiful  prin 
cesses  were  filled  with  horror  at  the  idea.  With  all 
her  virtuous  indignation,  the  good  old  woman  was  of 
a  placable  nature,  and  easily  appeased.  Besides,  the 
music  seemed  to  have  a  beneficial  effect  upon  her 
young  mistresses.  A  rosy  bloom  had  already  come  to 


LEGEND  OF  THE  THREE  PRINCESSES    253 

their  cheeks,  and  their  eyes  began  to  sparkle.  She 
made  no  further  objection,  therefore,  to  the  amorous 
ditty  of  the  cavaliers. 

When  it  was  finished,  the  princesses  remained  silent 
for  a  time;  at  length  Zorayda  took  up  a  lute,  and  with 
a  sweet,  though  faint  and  trembling  voice,  warbled 
a  little  Arabian  air,  the  burden  of  which  was,  "  The 
rose  is  concealed  among  her  leaves,  but  she  listens 
with  delight  to  the  song  of  the  nightingale." 

From  this  time  forward  the  cavaliers  worked  almost 
daily  in  the  ravine.  The  considerate  Hussein  Baba 
became  more  and  more  indulgent,  and  daily  more  prone 
to  sleep  at  his  post.  For  some  time  a  vague  inter 
course  was  kept  up  by  popular  songs  and  romances, 
which  in  some  measure  responded  to  each  other,  and 
breathed  the  feelings  of  the  parties.  By  degrees  the 
princesses  showed  themselves  at  the  balcony,  when 
they  could  do  so  wifhout  being  perceived  by  the  guards. 
They  conversed  with  the  cavaliers  also,  by  means  of 
flowers,  with  the  symbolical  language  of  which  they 
were  mutually  acquainted ;  the  difficulties  of  their  in 
tercourse  added  to  its  charms,  and  strengthened  the 
passion  they  had  so  singularly  conceived;  for  love 
delights  to  struggle  with  difficulties,  and  thrives  the 
most  hardily  on  the  scantiest  soil. 

The  change  effected  in  the  looks  and  spirits  of  the 
princesses  by  this  secret  intercourse,  surprised  and 
gratified  the  left-handed  king;  but  no  one  was  more 
elated  than  the  discreet  Kadiga,  who  considered  it  all 
owing  to  her  able  management. 

At  length  there  was  an  interruption  in  this  tele 
graphic  correspondence :  for  several  days  the  cavaliers 
ceased  to  make  their  appearance  in  the  glen.  The 
princesses  looked  out  from  the  tower  in  vain.  In 
vain  they  stretched  their  swan-like  necks  from  the  bal 
cony;  in  vain  they  sang  like  captive  nightingales  in 
their  cage :  nothing  was  to  be  seen  of  their  Christian 


254  THE  ALHAMBRA 

lovers;  not  a  note  responded  from  the  groves.  The 
discreet  Kadiga  sallied  forth  in  quest  of  intelligence, 
and  soon  returned  with  a  face  full  of  trouble.  "  Ah, 
my  children ! "  cried  she,  "  I  saw  what  all  this  would 
come  to,  but  you  would  have  your  way ;  you  may  now 
hang  up  your  lutes  on  the  willows.  The  Spanish  cava 
liers  are  ransomed  by  their  families;  they  are  down 
in  Granada,  and  preparing  to  return  to  their  native 
country." 

The  three  beautiful  princesses  were  in  despair  at 
the  tidings.  Zayda  was  indignant  at  the  slight  put 
upon  them,  in  thus  being  deserted  without  a  parting 
word.  Zorayda  wrung  her  hands  and  cried,  and  looked 
in  the  glass,  and  wiped  away  her  tears,  and  cried 
afresh.  The  gentle  Zorahayda  leaned  over  the  bal 
cony  and  wept  in  silence,  and  her  tears  fell  drop  by 
drop  among  the  flowers  of  the  bank  where  the  faith 
less  cavaliers  had  so  often  been  seated. 

The  discreet  Kadiga  did  all  in  her  power  to  soothe 
their  sorrow.  "  Take  comfort,  my  children,"  said  she, 
"  this  is  nothing  when  you  are  used  to  it.  This  is  the 
way  of  the  world.  Ah !  when  you  are  as  old  as  I  am, 
you  will  know  how  to  value  these  men.  I  '11  warrant 
these  cavaliers  have  their  loves  among  the  Spanish 
beauties  of  Cordova  and  Seville,  and  will  soon  be 
serenading  under  their  balconies,  and  thinking  no  more 
of  the  Moorish  beauties  in  the  Alhambra.  Take  com 
fort,  therefore,  my  children,  and  drive  them  from  your 
hearts." 

The  comforting  words  of  the  discreet  Kadiga  only 
redoubled  the  distress  of  the  three  princesses,  and  for 
two  days  they  continued  inconsolable.  On  the  morn 
ing  of  the  third  the  good  old  woman  entered  their 
apartment,  all  ruffling  with  indignation. 

"  Who  would  have  believed  such  insolence  in  mortal 
man !  "  exclaimed  she,  as  soon  as  she  could  find  words 
to  express  herself ;  "  but  I  am  rightly  served  for  hav- 


LEGEND  OF  THE  THREE  PRINCESSES    255 

ing  connived  at  this  deception  of  your  worthy  father. 
Never  talk  more  to  me  of  your  Spanish  cavaliers." 

"  Why,  what  has  happened,  good  Kadiga  ?  "  ex 
claimed  the  princesses  in  breathless  anxiety. 

"What  has  happened?  —  treason  has  happened!  or, 
what  is  almost  as  bad,  treason  has  been  proposed ;  and 
to  me,  the  most  faithful  of  subjects,  the  trustiest  of 
duennas !  Yes,  my  children,  the  Spanish  cavaliers  have 
dared  to  tamper  with  me,  that  I  should  persuade  you 
to  fly  with  them  to  Cordova,  and  become  their  wives !  " 

Here  the  excellent  old  woman  covered  her  face  with 
her  hands,  and  gave  way  to  a  violent  burst  of  grief  and 
indignation.  The  three  beautiful  princesses  turned 
pale  and  red,  pale  and  red,  and  trembled,  and  looked 
down,  and  cast  shy  looks  at  each  other,  but  said  noth 
ing.  Meantime  the  old  woman  sat  rocking  backward 
and  forward  in  violent  agitation,  and  now  and  then 
breaking  out  into  exclamations,  —  "  That  ever  I  should 
live  to  be  so  insulted!  —  I,  the  most  faithful  of 
servants ! " 

At  length  the  eldest  princess,  who  had  most  spirit 
and  always  took  the  lead,  approached  her  and  laying 
her  hand  upon  her  shoulder,  "  Well,  mother,"  said  she, 
"  supposing  we  were  willing  to  fly  with  these  Chris 
tian  cavaliers  —  is  such  a  thing  possible?  " 

The  good  old  woman  paused  suddenly  in  her  grief, 
and  looking  up,  "Possible,"  echoed  she;  "to  be  sure 
it  is  possible.  Have  not  the  cavaliers  already  bribed 
Hussein  Baba,  the  renegade  captain  of  the  guard,  and 
arranged  the  whole  plan?  But,  then,  to  think  of  de 
ceiving  your  father !  your  father,  who  has  placed  such 
confidence  in  me!"  Here  the  worthy  woman  gave 
way  to  a  fresh  burst  of  grief,  and  began  again  to  rock 
backward  and  forward,  and  to  wring  her  hands. 

"  But  our  father  has  never  placed  any  confidence 
in  us,"  said  the  eldest  princess,  "  but  has  trusted  to 
bolts  and  bars,  and  treated  us  as  captives." 


256  THE  ALHAMBRA 

"  Why,  that  is  true  enough,"  replied  the  old  woman, 
again  pausing  in  her  grief  ;  "  he  has  indeed  treated  you 
most  unreasonably,  keeping  you  shut  up  here,  to  waste 
your  bloom  in  a  moping  old  tower,  like  roses  left  to 
wither  in  a  flower-jar.  But,  then,  to  fly  from  your 
native  land !  " 

"  And  is  not  the  land  we  fly  to  the  native  land  of 
our  mother,  where  we  shall  live  in  freedom?  And 
shall  we  not  each  have  a  youthful  husband  in  exchange 
for  a  severe  old  father?" 

"  Why,  that  again  is  all  very  true ;  and  your  father, 
I  must  confess,  is  rather  tyrannical;  but  what  then," 
relapsing  into  her  grief,  "  would  you  leave  me  behind 
to  bear  the  brunt  of  his  vengeance?  " 

"  By  no  means,  my  good  Kadiga ;  cannot  you  fly 
with  us?" 

"  Very  true,  my  child ;  and,  to  tell  the  truth,  when 
I  talked  the  matter  over  with  Hussein  Baba,  he  prom 
ised  to  take  care  of  me,  if  I  would  accompany  you  in 
your  flight;  but  then,  bethink  you,  my  children,  are 
you  willing  to  renounce  the  faith  of  your  father?" 

"  The  Christian  faith  was  the  original  faith  of  our 
mother,"  said  the  eldest  princess ;  "  I  am  ready  to  em 
brace  it,  and  so,  I  am  sure,  are  my  sisters." 

"  Right  again,"  exclaimed  the  old  woman,  bright 
ening  up ;  "  it  was  the  original  faith  of  your  mother, 
and  bitterly  did  she  lament,  on  her  death-bed,  that  she 
had  renounced  it.  I  promised  her  then  to  take  care 
of  your  souls,  and  I  rejoice  to  see  that  they  are  now 
in  a  fair  way  to  be  saved.  Yes,  my  children,  I  too 
was  born  a  Christian,  and  have  remained  a  Christian 
in  my  heart,  and  am  resolved  to  return  to  the  faith.  I 
have  talked  on  the  subject  with  Hussein  Baba,  who  is 
a  Spaniard  by  birth,  and  comes  from  a  place  not  far 
from  my  native  town.  He  is  equally  anxious  to  see 
his  own  country,  and  to  be  reconciled  to  the  Church; 
and  the  cavaliers  have  promised  that,  if  we  are  dis- 


LEGEND  OF  THE  THREE  PRINCESSES    257 

posed  to  become  man  and  wife,  on  returning  to  our 
native  land,  they  will  provide  for  us  handsomely." 

In  a  word,  it  appeared  that  this  extremely  discreet 
and  provident  old  woman  had  consulted  with  the  cava 
liers  and  the  renegade,  and  had  concerted  the  whole 
plan  of  escape.  The  eldest  princess  immediately  as 
sented  to  it;  and  her  example,  as  usual,  determined 
the  conduct  of  her  sisters.  It  is  true  the  youngest 
hesitated,  for  she  was  gentle  and  timid  of  soul,  and 
there  was  a  struggle  in  her  bosom  between  filial  feeling 
and  youthful  passion:  the  latter,  however,  as  usual, 
gained  the  victory,  and  with  silent  tears  and  stifled 
sighs  she  prepared  herself  for  flight. 

The  rugged  hill  on  which  the  Alhambra  is  built 
was,  in  old  times,  perforated  with  subterranean  pas 
sages,  cut  through  the  rock,  and  leading  from  the 
fortress  to  various  parts  of  the  city,  and  to  distant 
sally-ports  on  the  banks  of  the  Darro  and  the  Xenil. 
They  had  been  constructed  at  different  times  by  the 
Moorish  kings,  as  means  of  escape  from  sudden  in 
surrections,  or  of  secretly  issuing  forth  on  private  en 
terprises.  Many  of  them  are  now  entirely  lost,  while 
others  remain,  partly  choked  with  rubbish,  and  partly 
walled  up,  —  monuments  of  the  jealous  precautions 
and  warlike  stratagems  of  the  Moorish  government. 
By  one  of  these  passages  Hussein  Baba  had  under 
taken  to  conduct  the  princesses  to  a  sally-port  beyond 
the  walls  of  the  city,  where  the  cavaliers  were  to  be 
ready  with  fleet  steeds,  to  bear  the  whole  party  over 
the  borders. 

The  appointed  night  arrived ;  the  tower  of  the 
princesses  had  been  locked  up  as  usual,  and  the  Al 
hambra  was  buried  in  deep  sleep.  Towards  midnight 
the  discreet  Kadiga  listened  from  the  balcony  of  a 
window  that  looked  into  the  garden.  Hussein  Baba, 
the  renegado,  was  already  below,  and  gave  the  ap 
pointed  signal.  The  duenna  fastened  the  end  of  a 

17 


258  THE  ALHAMBRA 

ladder  of  ropes  to  the  balcony,  lowered  it  into  the 
garden  and  descended.  The  two  eldest  princesses  fol 
lowed  her  with  beating  hearts ;  but  when  it  came  to  the 
turn  of  the  youngest  princess,  Zorahayda,  she  hesi 
tated  and  trembled.  Several  times  she  ventured  a 
delicate  little  foot  upon  the  ladder,  and  as  often  drew 
it  back,  while  her  poor  little  heart  fluttered  more  and 
more  the  longer  she  delayed.  She  cast  a  wistful  look 
back  into  the  silken  chamber;  she  had  lived  in  it,  to 
be  sure,  like  a  bird  in  a  cage;  but  within  it  she  was 
secure;  who  could  tell  what  dangers  might  beset  her, 
should  she  flutter  forth  into  the  wide  world !  Now  she 
bethought  her  of  her  gallant  Christian  lover,  and  her 
little  foot  was  instantly  upon  the  ladder ;  and  anon  she 
thought  of  her  father,  and  shrank  back.  But  fruitless 
is  the  attempt  to  describe  the  conflict  in  the  bosom  of 
one  so  young  and  tender  and  loving,  but  so  timid  and 
so  ignorant  of  the  world. 

In  vain  her  sisters  implored,  the  duenna  scolded, 
and  the  renegado  blasphemed  beneath  the  balcony;  the 
gentle  little  Moorish  maid  stood  doubting  and  waver 
ing  on  the  verge  of  elopement;  tempted  by  the  sweet 
ness  of  the  sin,  but  terrified  at  its  perils. 

Every  moment  increased  the  danger  of  discovery. 
A  distant  tramp  was  heard.  "  The  patrols  are  walk 
ing  their  rounds,"  cried  the  renegado;  "  if  we  linger, 
we  perish.  Princess,  descend  instantly,  or  we  leave 
you." 

Zorahayda  was  for  a  moment  in  fearful  agitation; 
then  loosening  the  ladder  of  ropes,  with  desperate  reso 
lution  she  flung  it  from  the  balcony. 

"  It  is  decided !  "  cried  she ;  "  flight  is  now  out  of 
my  power!  Allah  guide  and  bless  ye,  my  dear 
sisters !  " 

The  two  eldest  princesses  were  shocked  at  the 
thoughts  of  leaving  her  behind,  and  would  fain  have 
lingered,  but  the  patrol  was  advancing;  the  renegado 


LEGEND  OF  THE  THREE  PRINCESSES    259 

was  furious,  and  they  were  hurried  away  to  the  subter 
raneous  passage.  They  groped  their  \vay  through  a 
fearful  labyrinth,  cut  through  the  heart  of  the  moun 
tain,  and  succeeded  in  reaching,  undiscovered,  an  iron 
gate  that  opened  outside  of  the  walls.  The  Spanish 
cavaliers  were  waiting  to  receive  them,  disguised  as 
Moorish  soldiers  of  the  guard,  commanded  by  the 
renegade. 

The  lover  of  Zorahayda  was  frantic  when  he  learned 
that  she  had  refused  to  leave  the  tower;  but  there  was 
no  time  to  waste  in  lamentations.  The  two  princesses 
were  placed  behind  their  lovers,  the  discreet  Kadiga 
mounted  behind  the  renegado,  and  they  all  set  off  at 
a  round  pace  in  the  direction  of  the  Pass  of  Lope, 
which  leads  through  the  mountains  towards  Cordova. 

They  had  not  proceeded  far  when  they  heard  the 
noise  of  drums  and  trumpets  from  the  battlements  of 
the  Alhambra. 

"  Our  flight  is  discovered !  "  said  the  renegado. 

"  We  have  fleet  steeds,  the  night  is  dark,  and  we  may 
distance  all  pursuit,"  replied  the  cavaliers. 

They  put  spurs  to  their  horses,  and  scoured  across 
the  Vega.  They  attained  the  foot  of  the  mountain  of 
Elvira,  which  stretches  like  a  promontory  into  the 
plain.  The  renegado  paused  and  listened.  "  As  yet," 
said  he,  "  there  is  no  one  on  our  traces,  we  shall  make 
good  our  escape  to  the  mountains."  While  he  spoke, 
a  light  blaze  sprang  up  on  the  top  of  the  watch-tower 
of  the  Alhambra. 

"  Confusion !  "  cried  the  renegado,  "  that  bale  fire 
will  put  all  the  guards  of  the  passes  on  the  alert. 
Away !  away !  Spur  like  mad,  —  there  is  no  time  to 
be  lost." 

Away  they  dashed  —  the  clattering  of  their  horses' 
hoofs  echoed  from  rock  to  rock,  as  they  swept  along 
the  road  that  skirts  the  rocky  mountain  of  Elvira.  As 
they  galloped  on,  the  bale  fire  of  the  Alhambra  was 


260  THE  ALHAMBRA 

answered  in  every  direction;  light  after  light  blazed 
on  the  Atalayas,  or  watch-towers  of  the  mountains. 

"Forward!  forward!"  cried  the  renegade,  with 
many  an  oath,  "  to  the  bridge,  —  to  the  bridge,  before 
the  alarm  has  reached  there !  " 

They  doubled  the  promontory  of  the  mountains,  and 
arrived  in  sight  of  the  famous  Bridge  of  Pinos,  that 
crosses  a  rushing  stream  often  dyed  with  Christian 
and  Moslem  blood.  To  their  confusion,  the  tower  on 
the  bridge  blazed  with  lights  and  glittered  with  armed 
men.  The  renegado  pulled  up  his  steed,  rose  in  his 
stirrups  and  looked  about  him  for  a  moment;  then 
beckoning  to  the  cavaliers,  he  struck  off  from  the  road, 
skirted  the  river  for  some  distance,  and  dashed  into 
its  waters.  The  cavaliers  called  upon  the  princesses 
to  cling  to  them,  and  did  the  same.  They  were  borne 
for  some  distance  down  the  rapid  current,  the  surges 
roared  round  them,  but  the  beautiful  princesses  clung 
to  their  Christian  knights,  and  never  uttered  a  com 
plaint.  The  cavaliers  attained  the  opposite  bank  in 
safety,  and  were  conducted  by  the  renegado,  by  rude 
and  unfrequented  paths  and  wild  barrancos,  through 
the  heart  of  the  mountains,  so  as  to  avoid  all  the 
regular  passes.  In  a  word,  they  succeeded  in  reaching 
the  ancient  city  of  Cordova;  where  their  restoration 
to  their  country  and  friends  was  celebrated  with  great 
rejoicings,  for  they  were  of  the  noblest  families.  The 
beautiful  princesses  were  forthwith  received  into  the 
bosom  of  the  Church,  and,  after  being  in  all  due  form 
made  regular  Christians,  were  rendered  happy  wives. 

In  our  hurry  to  make  good  the  escape  of  the  prin 
cesses  across  the  river,  and  up  the  mountains,  we  for 
got  to  mention  the  fate  of  the  discreet  Kadiga.  She 
had  clung  like  a  cat  to  Hussein  Baba  in  the  scamper 
across  the  Vega,  screaming  at  every  bound,  and  draw 
ing  many  an  oath  from  the  whiskered  renegado;  but 
when  he  prepared  to  plunge  his  steed  into  the  river,  her 


LEGEND  OF  THE  THREE  PRINCESSES    261 

terror  knew  no  bounds.  "  Grasp  me  not  so  tightly,'* 
cried  Hussein  Baba ;  "  hold  on  by  my  belt  and  fear 
nothing."  She  held  firmly  with  both  hands  by  the 
leathern  belt  that  girded  the  broad-backed  renegado; 
but  when  he  halted  with  the  cavaliers  to  take  breath  on 
the  mountain  summit,  the  duenna  was  no  longer  to 
be  seen. 

"  What  has  become  of  Kadiga?  "  cried  the  princesses 
in  alarm. 

"  Allah  alone  knows !  "  replied  the  renegado ;  "  my 
belt  came  loose  when  in  the  midst  of  the  river,  and 
Kadiga  was  swept  with  it  down  the  stream.  The 
will  of  Allah  be  done !  but  it  was  an  embroidered  belt, 
and  of  great  price." 

There  was  no  time  to  waste  in  idle  regrets;  yet 
bitterly  did  the  princesses  bewail  the  loss  of  their  dis 
creet  counsellor.  That  excellent  old  woman,  how 
ever,  did  not  lose  more  than  half  of  her  nine  lives  in 
the  water:  a  fisherman,  who  was  drawing  his  nets 
some  distance  down  the  stream,  brought  her  to  land, 
and  was  not  a  little  astonished  at  his  miraculous 
draught.  What  further  became  of  the  discreet  Kadiga, 
the  legend  does  not  mention ;  certain  it  is  that  she 
evinced  her  discretion  in  never  venturing  within  the 
reach  of  Mohamed  the  Left-handed. 

Almost  as  little  is  known  of  the  conduct  of  that 
sagacious  monarch  when  he  discovered  the  escape  of 
his  daughters,  and  the  deceit  practised  upon  him  by 
the  most  faithful  of  servants.  It  was  the  only  instance 
in  which  he  had  called  in  the  aid  of  counsel,  and  he  was 
never  afterwards  known  to  be  guilty  of  a  similar  weak 
ness.  He  took  good  care,  however,  to  guard  his  re 
maining  daughter,  who  had  no  disposition  to  elope; 
it  is  thought,  indeed,  that  she  secretly  repented  having 
remained  behind :  now  and  then  she  was  seen  leaning 
on  the  battlements  of  the  tower,  and  looking  mourn 
fully  towards  the  mountains  in  the  direction  of  Cor- 


262  THE  ALHAMBRA 

dova,  and  sometimes  the  notes  of  her  lute  were  heard 
accompanying  plaintive  ditties,  in  which  she  was  said 
to  lament  the  loss  of  her  sisters  and  her  lover,  and  to 
bewail  her  solitary  life.  She  died  young,  and,  accord 
ing  to  popular  rumor,  was  buried  in  a  vault  beneath 
the  tower,  and  her  untimely  fate  has  given  rise  to 
more  than  one  traditionary  fable. 

The  following  legend,  which  seems  in  some  measure 
to  spring  out  of  the  foregoing  story,  is  too  closely 
connected  with  high  historic  names  to  be  entirely 
doubted.  The  count's  daughter,  and  some  of  her 
young  companions,  to  whom  it  was  read  in  one  of  the 
evening  tertullias,  thought  certain  parts  of  it  had  much 
appearance  of  reality;  and  Dolores,  who  was  much 
more  versed  than  they  in  the  improbable  truths  of  the 
Alhambra,  believed  every  word  of  it. 


LEGEND  OF  THE  ROSE  OF  THE 
ALHAMBRA 

FOR  some  time  after  the  surrender  of  Granada  by  the 
Moors,  that  delightful  city  was  a  frequent  and  favorite 
residence  of  the  Spanish  sovereigns,  until  they  were 
frightened  away  by  successive  shocks  of  earthquakes, 
which  toppled  down  various  houses,  and  made  the  old 
Moslem  towers  rock  to  their  foundation. 

Many,  many  years  then  rolled  away,  during  which 
Granada  was  rarely  honored  by  a  royal  guest.  The 
palaces  of  the  nobility  remained  silent  and  shut  up; 
and  the  Alhambra,  like  a  slighted  beauty,  sat  in  mourn 
ful  desolation  among  her  neglected  gardens.  The 
tower  of  the  Infantas,  once  the  residence  of  the  three 
beautiful  Moorish  princesses,  partook  of  the  general 
desolation ;  the  spider  spun  her  web  athwart  the  gilded 


THE  ROSE  OF  THE  ALHAMBRA     263 

vault,  and  bats  and  owls  nestled  in  those  chambers 
that  had  been  graced  by  the  presence  of  Zayda,  Zo- 
rayda,  and  Zorahayda.  The  neglect  of  this  tower  may 
have  been  partly  owing  to  some  superstitious  notions 
of  the  neighbors.  It  was  rumored  that  the  spirit  of  the 
youthful  Zorahayda,  who  had  perished  in  that  tower, 
was  often  seen  by  moonlight  seated  beside  the  foun 
tain  in  the  hall,  or  moaning  about  the  battlements, 
and  that  the  notes  of  her  silver  lute  would  be  heard  at 
midnight  by  wayfarers  passing  along  the  glen. 

At  length  the  city  of  Granada  was  once  more  wel 
comed  by  the  royal  presence.  All  the  world  knows 
that  Philip  V.  was  the  first  Bourbon  that  swayed  the 
Spanish  sceptre.  All  the  world  knows  that  he  mar 
ried,  in  second  nuptials,  Elizabetta  or  Isabella  (for 
they  are  the  same),  the  beautiful  princess  of  Parma; 
and  all  the  world  knows  that  by  this  chain  of  con 
tingencies  a  French  prince  and  an  Italian  princess  were 
seated  together  on  the  Spanish  throne.  For  a  visit 
of  this  illustrious  pair,  the  Alhambra  was  repaired  and 
fitted  up  with  all  possible  expedition.  The  arrival  of 
the  court  changed  the  whole  aspect  of  the  lately  de 
serted  palace.  The  clangor  of  drum  and  trumpet,  the 
tramp  of  steed  about  the  avenues  and  outer  court,  the 
glitter  of  arms  and  display  of  banners  about  barbican 
and  battlement,  recalled  the  ancient  and  warlike 
glories  of  the  fortress.  A  softer  spirit,  however, 
reigned  within  the  royal  palace.  There  was  the  rus 
tling  of  robes  and  the  cautious  tread  and  murmuring 
voice  of  reverential  courtiers  about  the  antechambers; 
a  loitering  of  pages  and  maids  of  honor  about  the 
gardens,  and  the  sound  of  music  stealing  from  open 
casements. 

Among  those  who  attended  in  the  train  of  the 
monarchs  was  a  favorite  page  of  the  queen,  named 
Ruyz  de  Alarcon.  To  say  that  he  was  a  favorite 
page  of  the  queen  was  at  once  to  speak  his  eulogium, 


264  THE  ALHAMBRA 

for  every  one  in  the  suite  of  the  stately  Elizabetta 
was  chosen  for  grace,  and  beauty,  and  accomplish 
ments.  He  was  just  turned  of  eighteen,  light  and  lithe 
of  form,  and  graceful  as  a  young  Antinous.  To  the 
queen  he  was  all  deference  and  respect,  yet  he  was 
at  heart  a  roguish  stripling,  petted  and  spoiled  by  the 
ladies  about  the  court,  and  experienced  in  the  ways 
of  women  far  beyond  his  years. 

This  loitering  page  was  one  morning  rambling  about 
the  groves  of  the  Generalife,  which  overlook  the 
grounds  of  the  Alhambra.  He  had  taken  with  him  for 
his  amusement  a  favorite  ger-falcon  of  the  queen.  In 
the  course  of  his  rambles,  seeing  a  bird  rising  from  a 
thicket,  he  unhooded  the  hawk  and  let  him  fly.  The 
falcon  towered  high  in  the  air,  made  a  swoop  at  his 
quarry,  but  missing  it,  soared  away,  regardless  of  the 
calls  of  the  page.  The  latter  followed  the  truant  bird 
with  his  eye,  in  its  capricious  flight,  until  he  saw  it 
alight  upon  the  battlements  of  a  remote  and  lonely 
tower,  in  the  outer  wall  of  the  Alhambra,  built  on  the 
edge  of  a  ravine  that  separated  the  royal  fortress 
from  the  grounds  of  the  Generalife.  It  was  in  fact 
the  "Tower  of  the  Princesses." 

The  page  descended  into  the  ravine  and  approached 
the  tower,  but  it  had  no  entrance  from  the  glen,  and 
its  lofty  height  rendered  any  attempt  to  scale  it  fruit 
less.  Seeking  one  of  the  gates  of  the  fortress,  there 
fore,  he  made  a  wide  circuit  to  that  side  of  the  tower 
facing  within  the  walls. 

A  small  garden,  enclosed  by  a  trellis-work  of  reeds 
overhung  with  myrtle,  lay  before  the  tower.  Opening 
a  wicket,  the  page  passed  between  beds  of  flowers  and 
thickets  of  roses  to  the  door.  It  was  closed  and  bolted. 
A  crevice  in  the  door  gave  him  a  peep  into  the  interior. 
There  was  a  small  Moorish  hall  with  fretted  walls, 
light  marble  columns,  and  an  alabaster  fountain  sur 
rounded  with  flowers.  In  the  centre  hung  a  gilt  cage 


THE  ROSE  OF  THE  ALHAMBRA      265 

containing  a  singing-bird;  beneath  it,  on  a  chair,  lay 
a  tortoise-shell  cat  among  reels  of  silk  and  other  articles 
of  female  labor,  and  a  guitar  decorated  with  ribbons 
leaned  against  the  fountain. 

Ruyz  de  Alarcon  was  struck  with  these  traces  of 
female  taste  and  elegance  in  a  lonely,  and,  as  he  had 
supposed,  deserted  tower.  They  reminded  him  of  the 
tales  of  enchanted  halls  current  in  the  Alhambra; 
and  the  tortoise-shell  cat  might  be  some  spell-bound 
princess. 

He  knocked  gently  at  the  door.  A  beautiful  face 
peeped  out  from  a  little  window  above,  but  was  in 
stantly  withdrawn.  He  waited,  expecting  that  the 
door  would  be  opened,  but  he  waited  in  vain ;  no  foot 
step  was  to  be  heard  within  —  all  was  silent.  Had  his 
senses  deceived  him,  or  was  this  beautiful  apparition 
the  fairy  of  the  tower?  He  knocked  again,  and  more 
loudly.  After  a  little  while  the  beaming  face  once 
more  peeped  forth;  it  was  that  of  a  blooming  damsel 
of  fifteen. 

The  page  immediately  doffed  his  plumed  bonnet, 
and  entreated  in  the  most  courteous  accents  to  be  per 
mitted  to  ascend  the  tower  in  pursuit  of  his  falcon. 

"  I  dare  not  open  the  door,  Seiior,"  replied  the  little 
damsel,  blushing,  "  my  aunt  has  forbidden  it." 

"I  do  beseech  you,  fair  maid — it  is  the  favorite 
falcon  of  the  queen :  I  dare  not  return  to  the  palace 
without  it." 

"  Are  you  then  one  of  the  cavaliers  of  the  court?  " 

"  I  am,  fair  maid ;  but  I  shall  lose  the  queen's  favor 
and  my  place,  if  I  lose  this  hawk." 

"  Santa  Maria!  It  is  against  you  cavaliers  of  the 
court  my  aunt  has  charged  me  especially  to  bar  the 
door." 

"  Against  wicked  cavaliers,  doubtless,  but  I  am  none 
of  these,  but  a  simple,  harmless  page,  who  will  be 
ruined  and  undone  if  you  deny  me  this  small  request." 


266  THE  ALHAMBRA 

The  heart  of  the  little  damsel  was  touched  by  the 
distress  of  the  page.  It  was  a  thousand  pities  he 
should  be  ruined  for  the  want  of  so  trifling  a  boon. 
Surely  too  he  could  not  be  one  of  those  dangerous 
beings  whom  her  aunt  had  described  as  a  species  of 
cannibal,  ever  on  the  prowl  to  make  prey  of  thought 
less  damsels;  he  was  gentle  and  modest,  and  stood  so 
entreatingly  with  cap  in  hand,  and  looked  so  charming. 

The  sly  page  saw  that  the  garrison  began  to  waver, 
and  redoubled  his  entreaties  in  such  moving  terms  that 
it  was  not  in  the  nature  of  mortal  maiden  to  deny 
him;  so  the  blushing  little  warden  of  the  tower  de 
scended,  and  opened  the  door  with  a  trembling  hand, 
and  if  the  page  had  been  charmed  by  a  mere  glimpse 
of  her  countenance  from  the  window,  he  was  ravished 
by  the  full-length  portrait  now  revealed  to  him. 

Her  Andalusian  bodice  and  trim  basquina  set  off 
the  round  but  delicate  symmetry  of  her  form,  which 
was  as  yet  scarce  verging  into  womanhood.  Her 
glossy  hair  was  parted  on  her  forehead  with  scrupulous 
exactness,  and  decorated  with  a  fresh  plucked  rose, 
according  to  the  universal  custom  of  the  country.  It 
is  true  her  complexion  was  tinged  by  the  ardor  of  a 
southern  sun,  but  it  served  to  give  richness  to  the 
mantling  bloom  of  her  cheek,  and  to  heighten  the 
lustre  of  her  melting  eyes. 

Ruyz  de  Alarcon  beheld  all  this  with  a  single  glance, 
for  it  became  him  not  to  tarry;  he  merely  murmured 
his  acknowledgments,  and  then  bounded  lightly  up  the 
spiral  staircase  in  quest  of  his  falcon. 

He  soon  returned  with  the  truant  bird  upon  his 
fist.  The  damsel,  in  the  mean  time,  had  seated  herself 
by  the  fountain  in  the  hall,  and  was  winding  silk ;  but 
in  her  agitation  she  let  fall  the  reel  upon  the  pave 
ment.  The  page  sprang  and  picked  it  up,  then  drop 
ping  gracefully  on  one  knee,  presented  it  to  her;  but, 
seizing  the  hand  extended  to  receive  it,  imprinted  on 


THE  ROSE  OF  THE  ALHAMBRA      267 

it  a  kiss  more  fervent  and  devout  than  he  had  ever 
imprinted  on  the  fair  hand  of  his  sovereign. 

"  Ave  Maria,  Senor!"  exclaimed  the  damsel,  blush 
ing  still  deeper  with  confusion  and  surprise,  for  never 
before  had  she  received  such  a  salutation. 

The  modest  page  made  a  thousand  apologies,  assur 
ing  her  it  was  the  way  at  court  of  expressing  the  most 
profound  homage  and  respect. 

Her  anger,  if  anger  she  felt,  was  easily  pacified,  but 
her  agitation  and  embarrassment  continued,  and  she 
sat  blushing  deeper  and  deeper,  with  her  eyes  cast 
down  upon  her  work,  entangling  the  silk  which  she 
attempted  to  wind. 

The  cunning  page  saw  the  confusion  in  the  opposite 
camp,  and  would  fain  have  profited  by  it,  but  the  fine 
speeches  he  would  have  uttered  died  upon  his  lips ;  his 
attempts  at  gallantry  were  awkward  and  ineffectual; 
and  to  his  surprise,  the  adroit  page,  who  had  figured 
with  such  grace  and  effrontery  among  the  most  know 
ing  and  experienced  ladies  of  the  court,  found  himself 
awed  and  abashed  in  the  presence  of  a  simple  damsel 
of  fifteen. 

In  fact,  the  artless  maiden,  in  her  own  modesty  and 
innocence,  had  guardians  more  effectual  than  the  bolts 
and  bars  prescribed  by  her  vigilant  aunt.  Still,  where 
is  the  female  bosom  proof  against  the  first  whisperings 
of  love?  The  little  damsel,  with  all  her  artlessness, 
instinctively  comprehended  all  that  the  faltering  tongue 
of  the  page  failed  to  express,  and  her  heart  was  flut 
tered  at  beholding,  for  the  first  time,  a  lover  at  her 
feet  —  and  such  a  lover ! 

The  diffidence  of  the  page,  though  genuine,  was 
short-lived,  and  he  was  recovering  his  usual  ease 
and  confidence,  when  a  shrill  voice  was  heard  at  a 
distance. 

"  My  aunt  is  returning  from  mass!"  cried  the  dam 
sel  in  affright :  "  I  pray  you,  Senor,  depart." 


268  THE  ALHAMBRA 

"  Not  until  you  grant  me  that  rose  from  your  hair 
as  a  remembrance." 

She  hastily  untwisted  the  rose  from  her  raven  locks. 
"  Take  it,"  cried  she,  agitated  and  blushing,  "  but  pray 
begone." 

The  page  took  the  rose,  and  at  the  same  time  cov 
ered  with  kisses  the  fair  hand  that  gave  it.  Then, 
placing  the  flower  in  his  bonnet,  and  taking  the  falcon 
upon  his  fist,  he  bounded  off  through  the  garden,  bear 
ing  away  with  him  the  heart  of  the  gentle  Jacinta. 

When  the  vigilant  aunt  arrived  at  the  tower,  she 
remarked  the  agitation  of  her  niece,  and  an  air  of 
confusion  in  the  hall;  but  a  word  of  explanation 
sufficed.  "  A  ger-falcon  had  pursued  his  prey  into  the 
hall." 

"  Mercy  on  us !  to  think  of  a  falcon  flying  into  the 
tower.  Did  ever  one  hear  of  so  saucy  a  hawk?  Why, 
the  very  bird  in  the  cage  is  not  safe ! " 

The  vigilant  Fredegonda  was  one  of  the  most  wary 
of  ancient  spinsters.  She  had  a  becoming  terror  and 
distrust  of  what  she  denominated  "  the  opposite  sex," 
which  had  gradually  increased  through  a  long  life  of 
celibacy.  Not  that  the  good  lady  had  ever  suffered 
from  their  wiles,  nature  having  set  up  a  safeguard  in 
her  face  that  forbade  all  trespass  upon  her  premises; 
but  ladies  who  have  least  cause  to  fear  for  themselves 
are  most  ready  to  keep  a  watch  over  their  more 
tempting  neighbors. 

The  niece  was  an  orphan  of  an  officer  who  had 
fallen  in  the  wars.  She  had  been  educated  in  a  con 
vent,  and  had  recently  been  transferred  from  her  sa 
cred  asylum  to  the  immediate  guardianship  of  her  aunt, 
under  whose  overshadowing  care  she  vegetated  in  ob 
scurity,  like  an  opening  rose  blooming  beneath  a  brier. 
Nor  indeed  is  this  comparison  entirely  accidental;  for, 
to  tell  the  truth,  her  fresh  and  dawning  beauty  had 
caught  the  public  eye,  even  in  her  seclusion,  and,  with 


THE  ROSE  OF  THE  ALHAMBRA      269 

that  poetical  turn  common  to  the  people  of  Andalusia, 
the  peasantry  of  the  neighborhood  had  given  her  the 
appellation  of  "  the  Rose  of  the  Alhambra." 

The  wary  aunt  continued  to  keep  a  faithful  watch 
over  her  tempting  little  niece  as  long  as  the  court 
continued  at  Granada,  and  flattered  herself  that  her 
vigilance  had  been  successful.  It  is  true  the  good 
lady  was  now  and  then  discomposed  by  the  tinkling  of 
guitars  and  chanting  of  love-ditties  from  the  moonlit 
groves  beneath  the  tower;  but  she  would  exhort  her 
niece  to  shut  her  ears  against  such  idle  minstrelsy, 
assuring  her  that  it  was  one  of  the  arts  of  the  opposite 
sex,  by  which  simple  maids  were  often  lured  to  their 
undoing.  Alas!  what  chance  with  a  simple  maid  has 
a  dry  lecture  against  a  moonlight  serenade? 

At  length  King  Philip  cut  short  his  sojourn  at 
Granada,  and  suddenly  departed  with  all  his  train. 
The  vigilant  Fredegonda  watched  the  royal  pageant 
as  it  issued  forth  from  the  Gate  of  Justice,  and  de 
scended  the  great  avenue  leading  to  the  city.  When 
the  last  banner  disappeared  from  her  sight,  she  re 
turned  exulting  to  her  tower,  for  all  her  cares  were 
over.  To  her  surprise,  a  light  Arabian  steed  pawed 
the  ground  at  the  wicket-gate  of  the  garden ;  —  to 
her  horror,  she  saw  through  the  thickets  of  roses  a 
youth  in  gayly  embroidered  dress,  at  the  feet  of  her 
niece.  At  the  sound  of  her  footsteps  he  gave  a  tender 
adieu,  bounded  lightly  over  the  barrier  of  reeds  and 
myrtles,  sprang  upon  his  horse,  and  was  out  of  sight 
in  an  instant. 

The  tender  Jacinta,  in  the  agony  of  her  grief,  lost 
all  thought  of  her  aunt's  displeasure.  Throwing  her 
self  into  her  arms,  she  broke  forth  into  sobs  and  tears. 

"  Ay  de  mi !  "  cried  she ;  "  he  's  gone !  —  he  's  gone ! 
—  he's  gone!  and  I  shall  never  see  him  more!" 

"  Gone !  —  who  is  gone  ?  —  what  youth  is  that  I  saw 
at  your  feet  ?  " 


270  THE  ALHAMBRA 

"  A  queen's  page,  aunt,  who  came  to  bid  me  fare 
well." 

"  A  queen's  page,  child !  "  echoed  the  vigilant  Frede- 
gonda,  faintly,  "  and  when  did  you  become  acquainted 
with  the  queen's  page?  " 

"  The  morning  that  the  ger-falcon  came  into  the 
tower.  It  was  the  queen's  ger-falcon,  and  he  came 
in  pursuit  of  it." 

"  Ah  silly,  silly  girl !  know  that  there  are  no  ger 
falcons  half  so  dangerous  as  these  young  prankling 
pages,  and  it  is  precisely  such  simple  birds  as  thee  that 
they  pounce  upon." 

The  aunt  was  at  first  indignant  at  learning  that  in 
despite  of  her  boasted  vigilance,  a  tender  intercourse 
had  been  carried  on  by  the  youthful  lovers,  almost 
beneath  her  eye;  but  when  she  found  that  her  simple- 
hearted  niece,  though  thus  exposed,  without  the  pro 
tection  of  bolt  or  bar,  to  all  the  machinations  of  the 
opposite  sex,  had  come  forth  unsinged  from  the  fiery 
ordeal,  she  consoled  herself  with  the  persuasion  that 
it  was  owing  to  the  chaste  and  cautious  maxims  in 
which  she  had,  as  it  were,  steeped  her  to  the  very  lips. 

While  the  aunt  laid  this  soothing  unction  to  her 
pride,  the  niece  treasured  up  the  oft-repeated  vows  of 
fidelity  of  the  page.  But  what  is  the  love  of  restless, 
roving  man?  A  vagrant  stream  that  dallies  for  a 
time  with  each  flower  upon  its  bank,  then  passes  on, 
and  leaves  them  all  in  tears. 

Days,  weeks,  months  elapsed,  and  nothing  more 
was  heard  of  the  page.  The  pomegranate  ripened, 
the  vine  yielded  up  its  fruit,  the  autumnal  rains  de 
scended  in  torrents  from  the  mountains;  the  Sierra 
Nevada  became  covered  with  a  snowy  mantle,  and 
wintry  blasts  howled  through  the  halls  of  the  Alhambra 
—  still  he  came  not.  The  winter  passed  away.  Again 
the  genial  spring  burst  forth  with  song  and  blossom 
and  balmy  zephyr;  the  snows  melted  from  the  moun- 


THE  ROSE  OF  THE  ALHAMBRA      271 

tains,  until  none  remained  but  on  the  lofty  summit  of 
Nevada,  glistening  through  the  sultry  summer  air. 
Still  nothing  was  heard  of  the  forgetful  page. 

In  the  mean  time  the  poor  little  Jacinta  grew  pale 
and  thoughtful.  Her  former  occupations  and  amuse 
ments  were  abandoned,  her  silk  lay  entangled,  her 
guitar  unstrung,  her  flowers  were  neglected,  the  notes 
of  her  bird  unheeded,  and  her  eyes,  once  so  bright, 
were  dimmed  with  secret  weeping.  If  any  solitude 
could  be  devised  to  foster  the  passion  of  a  love-lorn 
damsel  it  would  be  such  a  place  as  the  Alhambra,  where 
everything  seems  disposed  to  produce  tender  and  ro 
mantic  reveries.  It  is  a  very  paradise  for  lovers ;  how 
hard  then  to  be  alone  in  such  a  paradise  —  and  not 
merely  alone,  but  forsaken ! 

"  Alas,  silly  child!"  would  the  staid  and  immaculate 
Fredegonda  say,  when  she  found  her  niece  in  one  of 
her  desponding  moods  —  "  did  I  not  warn  thee  against 
the  wiles  and  deceptions  of  these  men?  What  couldst 
thou  expect,  too,  from  one  of  a  haughty  and  aspiring 
family  —  thou  an  orphan,  the  descendant  of  a  fallen 
and  impoverished  line?  Be  assured,  if  the  youth  were 
true,  his  father,  who  is  one  of  the  proudest  nobles 
about  the  court,  would  prohibit  his  union  with  one 
so  humble  and  portionless  as  thou.  Pluck  up  thy  reso 
lution,  therefore,  and  drive  these  idle  notions  from  thy 
mind." 

The  words  of  the  immaculate  Fredegonda  only 
served  to  increase  the  melancholy  of  her  niece,  but 
she  sought  to  indulge  it  in  private.  At  a  late  hour  one 
midsummer  night,  after  her  aunt  had  retired  to  rest, 
she  remained  alone  in  the  hall  of  the  tower,  seated 
beside  the  alabaster  fountain.  It  was  here  that  the 
faithless  page  had  first  knelt  and  kissed  her  hand ;  it 
was  here  that  he  had  often  vowed  eternal  fidelity. 
The  poor  little  damsel's  heart  was  overladen  with  sad 
and  tender  recollections,  her  tears  began  to  flow,  and 


272  THE  ALHAMBRA 

slowly  fell  drop  by  drop  into  the  fountain.  By  de 
grees  the  crystal  water  became  agitated,  and  —  bubble 
—  bubble  —  bubble  —  boiled  up  and  was  tossed  about, 
until  a  female  figure,  richly  clad  in  Moorish  robes, 
slowly  rose  to  view. 

Jacinta  was  so  frightened  that  she  fled  from  the 
hall,  and  did  not  venture  to  return.  The  next  morning 
she  related  what  she  had  seen  to  her  aunt,  but  the  good 
lady  treated  it  as  a  fantasy  of  her  troubled  mind,  or 
supposed  she  had  fallen  asleep  and  dreamt  beside  the 
fountain.  "  Thou  hast  been  thinking  of  the  story  of 
the  three  Moorish  princesses  that  once  inhabited  this 
tower,"  continued  she,  "  and  it  has  entered  into  thy 
dreams." 

"  What  story,  aunt?    I  know  nothing  of  it." 

"  Thou  hast  certainly  heard  of  the  three  princesses, 
Zayda,  Zorayda,  and  Zorahayda,  who  were  confined  in 
this  tower  by  the  king  their  father,  and  agreed  to  fly 
with  three  Christian  cavaliers.  The  two  first  accom 
plished  their  escape,  but  the  third  failed  in  her  resolu 
tion,  and,  it  is  said,  died  in  this  tower." 

"  I  now  recollect  to  have  heard  of  it,"  said  Jacinta, 
"  and  to  have  wept  over  the  fate  of  the  gentle 
Zorahayda." 

"Thou  mayest  well  weep  over  her  fate,"  continued 
the  aunt,  "  for  the  lover  of  Zorahayda  was  thy  an 
cestor.  He  long  bemoaned  his  Moorish  love;  but 
time  cured  him  of  his  grief,  and  he  married  a  Spanish 
lady,  from  whom  thou  art  descended." 

Jacinta  ruminated  upon  these  words.  "  That  what 
I  have  seen  is  no  fantasy  of  the  brain,"  said  she  to 
herself,  "  I  am  confident.  If  indeed  it  be  the  spirit 
of  the  gentle  Zorahayda,  which  I  have  heard  lingers 
about  this  tower,  of  what  should  I  be  afraid?  I  '11 
watch  by  the  fountain  to-night  —  perhaps  the  visit 
will  be  repeated." 

Towards  midnight,  when  everything  was  quiet,  she 


THE  ROSE  OF  THE  ALHAMBRA      273 

again  took  her  seat  in  the  hall.  As  the  bell  in  the 
distant  watch-tower  of  the  Alhambra  struck  the  mid 
night  hour,  the  fountain  was  again  agitated;  and 
bubble  —  bubble  —  bubble  —  it  tossed  about  the  waters 
until  the  Moorish  female  again  rose  to  view.  She 
was  young  and  beautiful;  her  dress  was  rich  with 
jewels,  and  in  her  hand  she  held  a  silver  lute.  Jacinta 
trembled  and  was  faint,  but  was  reassured  by  the  soft 
and  plaintive  voice  of  the  apparition,  and  the  sweet  ex 
pression  of  her  pale,  melancholy  countenance. 

"  Daughter  of  mortality,"  said  she,  "  what  aileth 
thee?  Why  do  thy  tears  trouble  my  fountain,  and 
thy  sighs  and  plaints  disturb  the  quiet  watches  of  the 
night?" 

"  I  weep  because  of  the  faithlessness  of  man,  and 
I  bemoan  my  solitary  and  forsaken  state." 

"Take  comfort;  thy  sorrows  may  yet  have  an  end. 
Thou  beholdest  a  Moorish  princess,  who,  like  thee, 
was  unhappy  in  her  love.  A  Christian  knight,  thy 
ancestor,  won  my  heart,  and  would  have  borne  me  to 
his  native  land  and  to  the  bosom  of  his  church.  I  was 
a  convert  in  my  heart,  but  I  lacked  courage  equal  to 
my  faith,  and  lingered  till  too  late.  For  this  the  evil 
genii  are  permitted  to  have  power  over  me,  and  I 
remain  enchanted  in  this  tower  until  some  pure  Chris 
tian  will  deign  to  break  the  magic  spell.  Wilt  thou 
undertake  the  task  ?  " 

"  I  will,"  replied  the  damsel,  trembling. 

"  Come  hither,  then,  and  fear  not ;  dip  thy  hand  in 
the  fountain,  sprinkle  the  water  over  me,  and  baptize 
me  after  the  manner  of  thy  faith ;  so  shall  the  enchant 
ment  be  dispelled,  and  my  troubled  spirit  have  repose." 

The  damsel  advanced  with  faltering  steps,  dipped 
her  hand  in  the  fountain,  collected  water  in  the  palm, 
and  sprinkled  it  over  the  pale  face  of  the  phantom. 

The  latter  smiled  with  ineffable  benignity.  She 
dropped  her  silver  lute  at  the  feet  of  Jacinta,  crossed 

18 


274  THE  ALHAMBRA 

her  white  arms  upon  her  bosom,  and  melted  from 
sight,  so  that  it  seemed  merely  as  if  a  shower  of  dew- 
drops  had  fallen  into  the  fountain. 

Jacinta  retired  from  the  hall  filled  with  awe  and 
wonder.  She  scarcely  closed  her  eyes  that  night;  but 
when  she  awoke  at  daybreak  out  of  a  troubled  slumber, 
the  whole  appeared  to  her  like  a  distempered  dream. 
On  descending  into  the  hall,  however,  the  truth  of  the 
vision  was  established,  for  beside  the  fountain  she  be 
held  the  silver  lute  glittering  in  the  morning  sunshine. 

She  hastened  to  her  aunt,  to  relate  all  that  had  be 
fallen  her,  and  called  her  to  behold  the  lute  as  a  testi 
monial  of  the  reality  of  her  story.  If  the  good  lady 
had  any  lingering  doubts,  they  were  removed  when 
Jacinta  touched  the  instrument,  for  she  drew  forth 
such  ravishing  tones  as  to  thaw  even  the  frigid  bosom 
of  the  immaculate  Fredegonda,  that  region  of  eternal 
winter,  into  a  genial  flow.  Nothing  but  supernatural 
melody  could  have  produced  such  an  effect. 

The  extraordinary  power  of  the  lute  became  every 
day  more  and  more  apparent.  The  wayfarer  passing 
by  the  tower  was  detained,  and,  as  it  were,  spell-bound, 
in  breathless  ecstasy.  The  very  birds  gathered  in  the 
neighboring  trees,  and  hushing  their  own  strains,  lis 
tened  in  charmed  silence. 

Rumor  soon  spread  the  news  abroad.  The  inhab 
itants  of  Granada  thronged  to  the  Alhambra  to  catch 
a  few  notes  of  the  transcendent  music  that  floated 
about  the  tower  of  Las  Infantas. 

The  lovely  little  minstrel  was  at  length  drawn  forth 
from  her  retreat.  The  rich  and  powerful  of  the  land 
contended  who  should  entertain  and  do  honor  to  her; 
or  rather,  who  should  secure  the  charms  of  her  lute 
to  draw  fashionable  throngs  to  their  saloons.  Wher 
ever  she  went  her  vigilant  aunt  kept  a  dragon  watch 
at  her  elbow,  awing  the  throngs  of  impassioned  ad 
mirers  who  hung  in  raptures  on  her  strains.  The 


THE  ROSE  OF  THE  ALHAMBRA      275' 

report  of  her  wonderful  powers  spread  from  city  to 
city.  Malaga,  Seville,  Cordova,  all  became  succes 
sively  mad  on  the  theme;  nothing  was  talked  of 
throughout  Andalusia  but  the  beautiful  minstrel  of 
the  Alhambra.  How  could  it  be  otherwise  among  a 
people  so  musical  and  gallant  as  the  Andalusians,  when 
the  lute  was  magical  in  its  powers,  and  the  minstrel 
inspired  by  love! 

While  all  Andalusia  was  thus  music  mad,  a  different 
mood  prevailed  at  the  court  of  Spain.  Philip  V.,  as 
is  well  known,  was  a  miserable  hypochondriac,  and 
subject  to  all  kinds  of  fancies.  Sometimes  he  would 
keep  to  his  bed  for  weeks  together,  groaning  under 
imaginary  complaints.  At  other  times  he  would  in 
sist  upon  abdicating  his  throne,  to  the  great  annoyance 
of  his  royal  spouse,  who  had  a  strong  relish  for  the 
splendors  of  a  court  and  the  glories  of  a  crown,  and 
guided  the  sceptre  of  her  imbecile  lord  with  an  expert 
and  steady  hand. 

Nothing  was  found  to  be  so  efficacious  in  dispelling 
the  royal  megrims  as  the  power  of  music;  the  queen 
took  care,  therefore,  to  have  the  best  performers,  both 
vocal  and  instrumental,  at  hand,  and  retained  the  fa 
mous  Italian  singer  Farinelli  about  the  court  as  a  kind 
of  royal  physician. 

At  the  moment  we  treat  of,  however,  a  freak  had 
come  over  the  mind  of  this  sapient  and  illustrious 
Bourbon  that  surpassed  all  former  vagaries.  After  a 
long  spell  of  imaginary  illness,  which  set  all  the  strains 
of  Farinelli  and  the  consultations  of  a  whole  orchestra 
of  court-fiddlers  at  defiance,  the  monarch  fairly,  in 
idea,  gave  up  the  ghost,  and  considered  himself  abso 
lutely  dead. 

This  would  have  been  harmless  enough,  and  even 
convenient  both  to  his  queen  and  courtiers,  had  he 
been  content  to  remain  in  the  quietude  befitting  a  dead 
man;  but  to  their  annoyance  he  insisted  upon  having 


276  THE  ALHAMBRA 

the  funeral  ceremonies  performed  over  him,  and,  to 
their  inexpressible  perplexity,  began  to  grow  impatient, 
and  to  revile  bitterly  at  them  for  negligence  and  dis 
respect,  in  leaving  him  unburied.  What  was  to  be 
done?  To  disobey  the  king's  positive  commands  was 
monstrous  in  the  eyes  of  the  obsequious  courtiers  of 
a  punctilious  court  —  but  to  obey  him,  and  bury  him 
alive  would  be  downright  regicide ! 

In  the  midst  of  this  fearful  dilemma  a  rumor  reached 
the  court  of  the  female  minstrel  who  was  turning  the 
brains  of  all  Andalusia.  The  queen  dispatched  mis 
sions  in  all  haste  to  summon  her  to  St.  Ildefonso,  where 
the  court  at  that  time  resided. 

Within  a  few  days,  as  the  queen  with  her  maids  of 
honor  was  walking  in  those  stately  gardens,  intended, 
with  their  avenues  and  terraces  and  fountains,  to 
eclipse  the  glories  of  Versailles,  the  far-famed  minstrel 
was  conducted  into  her  presence.  The  imperial  Eliza- 
betta  gazed  with  surprise  at  the  youthful  and  un 
pretending  appearance  of  the  little  being  that  had  set 
the  world  madding.  She  was  in  her  picturesque  An- 
dalusian  dress,  her  silver  lute  in  hand,  and  stood  with 
modest  and  downcast  eyes,  but  with  a  simplicity  and 
freshness  of  beauty  that  still  bespoke  her  "  the  Rose 
of  the  Alhambra." 

As  usual  she  was  accompanied  by  the  ever-vigilant 
Fredegonda,  who  gave  the  whole  history  of  her  par 
entage  and  descent  to  the  inquiring  queen.  If  the 
stately  Elizabetta  had  been  interested  by  the  appear 
ance  of  Jacinta,  she  was  still  more  pleased  when  she 
learnt  that  she  was  of  a  meritorious  though  impover 
ished  line,  and  that  her  father  had  bravely  fallen  in 
the  service  of  the  crown.  "  If  thy  powers  equal  their 
renown,"  said  she,  "  and  thou  canst  cast  forth  this  evil 
spirit  that  possesses  thy  sovereign,  thy  fortunes  shall 
henceforth  be  my  care,  and  honors  and  wealth  attend 
thee." 


THE  ROSE  OF  THE  ALHAMBRA      277 

Impatient  to  make  trial  of  her  skill,  she  led  the  way 
at  once  to  the  apartment  of  the  moody  monarch. 

Jacinta  followed  with  downcast  eyes  through  files 
of  guards  and  crowds  of  courtiers.  They  arrived  at 
length  at  a  great  chamber  hung  with  black.  The  win 
dows  were  closed  to  exclude  the  light  of  day :  a  number 
of  yellow  wax  tapers  in  silver  sconces  diffused  a  lugu 
brious  light,  and  dimly  revealed  the  figures  of  mutes 
in  mourning  dresses,  and  courtiers  who  glided  about 
with  noiseless  step  and  woe-begone  visage.  In  the 
midst  of  a  funeral  bed  or  bier,  his  hands  folded  on 
his  breast,  and  the  tip  of  his  nose  just  visible,  lay  ex 
tended  this  would-be-buried  monarch. 

The  queen  entered  the  chamber  in  silence,  and  point 
ing  to  a  footstool  in  an  obscure  corner,  beckoned  to 
Jacinta  to  sit  down  and  commence. 

At  first  she  touched  her  lute  with  a  faltering  hand, 
but  gathering  confidence  and  animation  as  she  pro 
ceeded,  drew  forth  such  soft  aerial  harmony,  that  all 
present  could  scarce  believe  it  mortal.  As  to  the 
monarch,  who  had  already  considered  himself  in  the 
world  of  spirits,  he  set  it  down  for  some  angelic 
melody  or  the  music  of  the  spheres.  By  degrees  the 
theme  was  varied,  and  the  voice  of  the  minstrel  ac 
companied  the  instrument.  She  poured  forth  one  of 
the  legendary  ballads  treating  of  the  ancient  glories 
of  the  Alhambra  and  the  achievements  of  the  Moors. 
Her  whole  soul  entered  into  the  theme,  for  with  the 
recollections  of  the  Alhambra  was  associated  the  story 
of  her  love.  The  funeral-chamber  resounded  with  the 
animating  strain.  It  entered  into  the  gloomy  heart  of 
the  monarch.  He  raised  his  head  and  gazed  around; 
he  sat  up  on  his  couch,  his  eye  began  to  kindle — at 
length,  leaping  upon  the  floor,  he  called  for  sword 
and  buckler. 

The  triumph  of  music,  or  rather  of  the  enchanted 
lute,  was  complete;  the  demon  of  melancholy  was  cast 


278  THE  ALHAMBRA 

forth;  and,  as  it  were,  a  dead  man  brought  to  life. 
The  windows  of  the  apartment  were  thrown  open; 
the  glorious  effulgence  of  Spanish  sunshine  burst  into 
the  late  lugubrious  chamber ;  all  eyes  sought  the  lovely 
enchantress,  but  the  lute  had  fallen  from  her  hand, 
she  had  sunk  upon  the  earth,  and  the  next  moment 
was  clasped  to  the  bosom  of  Ruyz  de  Alarcon. 

The  nuptials  of  the  happy  couple  were  celebrated 
soon  afterwards  with  great  splendor,  and  the  Rose  of 
the  Alhambra  became  the  ornament  and  delight  of  the 
court.  "  But  hold  — not  so  fast  "  —  I  hear  the  reader 
exclaim;  "this  is  jumping  to  the  end  of  a  story  at  a 
furious  rate !  First  let  us  know  how  Ruyz  de  Alarcon 
managed  to  account  to  Jacinta  for  his  long  neglect?  " 
Nothing  more  easy;  the  venerable,  time-honored  ex 
cuse,  the  opposition  to  his  wishes  by  a  proud,  prag 
matical  old  father:  besides,  young  people  who  really 
like  one  another  soon  come  to  an  amicable  understand 
ing,  and  bury  all  past  grievances  when  once  they  meet. 

But  how  was  the  proud,  pragmatical  old  father  rec 
onciled  to  the  match? 

Oh!  as  to  that,  his  scruples  were  easily  overcome 
by  a  word  or  two  from  the  queen;  especially  as  dig 
nities  and  rewards  were  showered  upon  the  blooming 
favorite  of  royalty.  Besides,  the  lute  of  Jacinta,  you 
know,  possessed  a  magic  power,  and  could  control  the 
most  stubborn  head  and  hardest  breast. 

And  what  came  of  the  enchanted  lute  ? 

Oh,  that  is  the  most  curious  matter  of  all,  and  plainly 
proves  the  truth  of  the  whole  story.  That  lute  re 
mained  for  some  time  in  the  family,  but  was  purloined 
and  carried  off,  as  was  supposed,  by  the  great  singer 
Farinelli,  in  pure  jealousy.  At  his  death  it  passed  into 
other  hands  in  Italy,  who  were  ignorant  of  its  mystic 
powers,  and  melting  down  the  silver,  transferred  the 
strings  to  an  old  Cremona  riddle.  The  strings  still 
retain  something  of  their  magic  virtues.  A  word  in 


THE  VETERAN  279 

the  reader's  ear,  but  let  it  go  no  further:  that  fiddle 
is  now  bewitching  the  whole  world,  —  it  is  the  riddle 
of  Paganini! 


THE  VETERAN 

AMONG  the  curious  acquaintances  I  made  in  my 
rambles  about  the  fortress,  was  a  brave  and  battered 
old  colonel  of  Invalids,  who  was  nestled  like  a  hawk 
in  one  of  the  Moorish  towers.  His  history,  which  he 
was  fond  of  telling,  was  a  tissue  of  those  adventures, 
mishaps,  and  vicissitudes  that  render  the  life  of  almost 
every  Spaniard  of  note  as  varied  and  whimsical  as  the 
pages  of  Gil  Bias. 

He  was  in  America  at  twelve  years  of  age,  and  reck 
oned  among  the  most  signal  and  fortunate  events  of 
his  life,  his  having  seen  General  Washington.  Since 
then  he  had  taken  a  part  in  all  the  wars  of  his  country ; 
he  could  speak  experimentally  of  most  of  the  prisons 
and  dungeons  of  the  Peninsula;  had  been  lamed  of 
one  leg,  crippled  in  his  hands,  and  so  cut  up  and  car 
bonadoed  that  he  was  a  kind  of  walking  monument 
of  the  troubles  of  Spain,  on  which  there  was  a  scar  for 
every  battle  and  broil,  as  every  year  of  captivity  was 
notched  upon  the  tree  of  Robinson  Crusoe.  The  great 
est  misfortune  of  the  brave  old  cavalier,  however,  ap 
peared  to  have  been  his  having  commanded  at  Malaga 
during  a  time  of  peril  and  confusion,  and  been  made  a 
general  by  the  inhabitants,  to  protect  them  from  the  in 
vasion  of  the  French.  This  had  entailed  upon  him  a 
number  of  just  claims  upon  government,  that  I  feared 
would  employ  him  until  his  dying  day  in  writing  and 
printing  petitions  and  memorials,  to  the  great  disquiet 
of  his  mind,  exhaustion  of  his  purse,  and  penance  of 
his  friends ;  not  one  of  whom  could  visit  him  without 
having  to  listen  to  a  mortal  document  of  half  an  hour 


280  THE  ALHAMBRA 

in  length,  and  to  carry  away  half  a  dozen  pamphlets 
in  his  pocket.  This,  however,  is  the  case  throughout 
Spain ;  everywhere  you  meet  with  some  worthy  wight 
brooding  in  a  corner,  and  nursing  up  some  pet  griev 
ance  and  cherished  wrong.  Besides,  a  Spaniard  who 
has  a  lawsuit,  or  a  claim  upon  government,  may  be 
considered  as  furnished  with  employment  for  the  re 
mainder  of  his  life. 

I  visited  the  veteran  in  his  quarters  in  the  upper  part 
of  the  Torre  del  Vino,  or  Wine  Tower.  His  room 
was  small  but  snug,  and  commanded  a  beautiful  view 
of  the  Vega.  It  was  arranged  with  a  soldiers  pre 
cision.  Three  muskets  and  a  brace  of  pistols,  all  bright 
and  shining,  were  suspended  against  the  wall,  with  a 
sabre  and  a  cane  hanging  side  by  side,  and  above  them 
two  cocked  hats,  one  for  parade,  and  one  for  ordinary 
use.  A  small  shelf,  containing  some  half  dozen  books, 
formed  his  library,  one  of  which,  a  little  old  mouldy 
volume  of  philosophical  maxims,  was  his  favorite  read 
ing.  This  he  thumbed  and  pondered  over  day  by  day ; 
applying  every  maxim  to  his  own  particular  case,  pro 
vided  it  had  a  little  tinge  of  wholesome  bitterness,  and 
treated  of  the  injustice  of  the  world. 

Yet  he  was  social  and  kind-hearted,  and,  provided 
he  could  be  diverted  from  his  wrongs  and  his  phi 
losophy,  was  an  entertaining  companion.  I  like  these 
old  weather-beaten  sons  of  fortune,  and  enjoy  their 
rough  campaigning  anecdotes.  In  the  course  of  my 
visits  to  the  one  in  question,  I  learnt  some  curious 
facts  about  an  old  military  commander  of  the  fortress, 
who  seems  to  have  resembled  him  in  some  respects, 
and  to  have  had  similar  fortunes  in  the  wars.  These 
particulars  have  been  augmented  by  inquiries  among 
some  of  the  old  inhabitants  of  the  place,  particularly 
the  father  of  Mateo  Ximenes,  of  whose  traditional 
stories  the  worthy  I  am  about  to  introduce  to  the 
reader  was  a  favorite  hero. 


THE  GOVERNOR  AND  THE  NOTARY    281 


THE   GOVERNOR   AND  THE   NOTARY 

IN  former  times  there  ruled,  as  governor  of  the  Alham- 
bra,  a  doughty  old  cavalier,  who,  from  having  lost  one 
arm  in  the  wars,  was  commonly  known  by  the  name 
of  el  Gobernador  Manco,  or  "  the  one-armed  gov 
ernor."  He  in  fact  prided  himself  upon  being  an  old 
soldier,  wore  his  moustaches  curled  up  to  his  eyes, 
a  pair  of  campaigning  boots,  and  a  toledo  as  long  as  a 
spit,  with  his  pocket-handkerchief  in  the  basket-hilt. 

He  was,  moreover,  exceedingly  proud  and  punctili 
ous,  and  tenacious  of  all  his  privileges  and  dignities. 
Under  his  sway  the  immunities  of  the  Alhambra,  as  a 
royal  residence  and  domain,  were  rigidly  exacted.  No 
one  was  permitted  to  enter  the  fortress  with  fire-arms, 
or  even  with  a  sword  or  staff,  unless  he  were  of  a  cer 
tain  rank;  and  every  horseman  was  obliged  to  dis 
mount  at  the  gate,  and  lead  his  horse  by  the  bridle. 
Now  as  the  hill  of  the  Alhambra  rises  from  the  very 
midst  of  the  city  of  Granada,  being,  as  it  were,  an  ex 
crescence  of  the  capital,  it  must  at  all  times  be  some 
what  irksome  to  the  captain-general,  who  commands 
the  province,  to  have  thus  an  imperium  in  imperio,  a 
petty  independent  post  in  the  very  centre  of  his  do 
mains.  It  was  rendered  the  more  galling,  in  the  pres 
ent  instance,  from  the  irritable  jealousy  of  the  old  gov 
ernor,  that  took  fire  on  the  least  question  of  authority 
and  jurisdiction;  and  from  the  loose  vagrant  charac 
ter  of  the  people  who  had  gradually  nestled  themselves 
within  the  fortress,  as  in  a  sanctuary,  and  thence  car 
ried  on  a  system  of  roguery  and  depredation  at  the  ex 
pense  of  the  honest  inhabitants  of  the  city. 

Thus  there  was  a  perpetual  feud  and  heart-burning 
between  the  captain-general  and  the  governor,  the 


282  THE  ALHAMBRA 

more  virulent  on  the  part  of  the  latter,  inasmuch  as 
the  smallest  of  two  neighboring  potentates  is  always 
the  most  captious  about  his  dignity.  The  stately  palace 
of  the  captain-general  stood  in  the  Plaza  Nueva,  im 
mediately  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  of  the  Alhambra ;  and 
here  was  always  a  bustle  and  parade  of  guards,  and 
domestics,  and  city  functionaries.  A  beetling  bastion 
of  the  fortress  overlooked  the  palace  and  public  square 
in  front  of  it;  and  on  this  bastion  the  old  governor 
would  ocasionally  strut  backwards  and  forwards,  with 
his  toledo  girded  by  his  side,  keeping  a  wary  eye  down 
upon  his  rival,  like  a  hawk  reconnoitring  his  quarry 
from  his  nest  in  a  dry  tree. 

Whenever  he  descended  into  the  city,  it  was  in  grand 
parade;  on  horseback,  surrounded  by  his  guards;  or 
in  his  state  coach,  an  ancient  and  unwieldy  Spanish 
edifice  of  carved  timber  and  gilt  leather,  drawn  by  eight 
mules,  with  running  footmen,  outriders,  and  lackeys; 
on  which  occasions  he  flattered  himself  he  impressed 
every  beholder  with  awe  and  admiration  as  vicegerent 
of  the  king;  though  the  wits  of  Granada,  particularly 
those  who  loitered  about  the  palace  of  the  captain- 
general,  were  apt  to  sneer  at  his  petty  parade,  and,  in 
allusion  to  the  vagrant  character  of  his  subjects,  to 
greet  him  with  the  appellation  of  "  the  king  of  the 
beggars."  One  of  the  most  fruitful  sources  of  dispute 
between  these  two  doughty  rivals  was  the  right  claimed 
by  the  governor  to  have  all  things  passed  free  of  duty 
through  the  city  that  were  intended  for  the  use  of  him 
self  or  his  garrison.  By  degrees  this  privilege  had 
given  rise  to  extensive  smuggling.  A  nest  of  contra- 
bandistas  took  up  their  abode  in  the  hovels  of  the  for 
tress  and  the  numerous  caves  in  its  vicinity,  and  drove 
a  thriving  business  under  the  connivance  of  the  soldiers 
of  the  garrison. 

The  vigilance  of  the  captain-general  was  aroused. 
He  consulted  his  legal  adviser  and  factotum,  a  shrewd 


THE  GOVERNOR  AND  THE  NOTARY  283 

meddlesome  escribano,  or  notary,  who  rejoiced  in  an 
opportunity  of  perplexing  the  old  potentate  of  the  Al- 
hambra,  and  involving  him  in  a  maze  of  legal  subtilties. 
He  advised  the  captain-general  to  insist  upon  the  right 
of  examining  every  convoy  passing  through  the  gates 
of  his  city,  and  penned  a  long  letter  for  him  in  vindi 
cation  of  the  right.  Governor  Manco  was  a  straight 
forward  cut-and-thrust  old  soldier,  who  hated  an  es 
cribano  worse  than  the  devil,  and  this  one  in  particular 
worse  than  all  other  escribanos. 

"  What !  "  said  he,  curling  up  his  moustaches  fiercely, 
"  does  the  captain-general  set  his  man  of  the  pen  to 
practise  confusions  upon  me?  I  '11  let  him  see  an  old 
soldier  is  not  to  be  baffled  by  schoolcraft." 

He  seized  his  pen  and  scrawled  a  short  letter  in  a 
crabbed  hand,  in  which,  without  deigning  to  enter  into 
argument,  he  insisted  on  the  right  of  transit  free  of 
search,  and  denounced  vengeance  on  any  custom-house 
officer  who  should  lay  his  unhallowed  hand  on  any 
convoy  protected  by  the  flag  of  the  Alhambra.  While 
this  question  was  agitated  between  the  two  pragmatical 
potentates,  it  so  happened  that  a  mule  laden  with  sup 
plies  for  the  fortress  arrived  one  day  at  the  gate  of 
Xenil,  by  which  it  was  to  traverse  a  suburb  of  the  city 
on  its  way  to  the  Alhambra.  The  convoy  was  headed 
by  a  testy  old  corporal,  who  had  long  served  under  the 
governor,  and  was  a  man  after  his  own  heart ;  as  rusty 
and  stanch  as  an  old  Toledo  blade. 

As  they  approached  the  gate  of  the  city,  the  corporal 
placed  the  banner  of  the  Alhambra  on  the  pack-saddle 
of  the  mule,  and  drawing  himself  up  to  a  perfect  per 
pendicular,  advanced  with  his  head  dressed  to  the  front, 
but  with  the  wary  side-glance  of  a  cur  passing  through 
hostile  ground  and  ready  for  a  snap  and  a  snarl. 

"  Who  goes  there?  "  said  the  sentinel  at  the  gate. 

"  Soldier  of  the  Alhambra!  "  said  the  corporal,  with 
out  turning  his  head. 


284  THE  ALHAMBRA 

"  What  have  you  in  charge?  " 

"  Provisions  for  the  garrison." 

"  Proceed." 

The  corporal  marched  straight  forward,  followed  by 
the  convoy,  but  had  not  advanced  many  paces  before 
a  posse  of  custom-house  officers  rushed  out  of  a  small 
toll-house. 

"  Hallo  there !  "  cried  the  leader.  "  Muleteer,  halt, 
and  open  those  packages." 

The  corporal  wheeled  round  and  drew  himself  up 
in  battle-array.  "  Respect  the  flag  of  the  Alhambra," 
said  he;  "  these  things  are  for  the  governor." 

"  A  figo  for  the  governor  and  a  figo  for  his  flag. 
Muleteer,  halt,  I  say." 

"  Stop  the  convoy  at  your  peril !  "  cried  the  corporal, 
cocking  his  musket.  "  Muleteer,  proceed." 

The  muleteer  gave  his  beast  a  hearty  thwack;  the 
custom-house  officer  sprang  forward  and  seized  the 
halter;  whereupon  the  corporal  levelled  his  piece  and 
shot  him  dead. 

The  street  was  immediately  in  an  uproar. 

The  old  corporal  was  seized,  and  after  undergoing 
sundry  kicks,  and  cuffs,  and  cudgellings,  which  are 
generally  given  impromptu  by  the  mob  in  Spain  as  a 
foretaste  of  the  after  penalties  of  the  law,  he  was 
loaded  with  irons  and  conducted  to  the  city  prison, 
while  his  comrades  were  permitted  to  proceed  with 
the  convoy,  after  it  had  been  well  rummaged,  to  the 
Alhambra. 

The  old  governor  was  in  a  towering  passion  when 
he  heard  of  this  insult  to  his  flag  and  capture  of  his 
corporal.  For  a  time  he  stormed  about  the  Moorish 
halls,  and  vapored  about  the  bastions,  and  looked  down 
fire  and  sword  upon  the  palace  of  the  captain-general. 
Having  vented  the  first  ebullition  of  his  wrath,  he  dis 
patched  a  message  demanding  the  surrender  of  the  cor 
poral,  as  to  him  alone  belonged  the  right  of  sitting  in 


THE  GOVERNOR  AND  THE  NOTARY  28$ 

judgment  on  the  offences  of  those  under  his  command. 
The  captain-general,  aided  by  the  pen  of  the  delighted 
escribano,  replied  at  great  length,  arguing,  that,  as  the 
offence  had  been  committed  within  the  walls  of  his  city, 
and  against  one  of  his  civil  officers,  it  was  clearly  within 
his  proper  jurisdiction.  The  governor  rejoined  by  a 
repetition  of  his  demand ;  the  captain-general  gave  a 
sur-rejoinder  of  still  greater  length  and  legal  acumen ; 
the  governor  became  hotter  and  more  peremptory  in 
his  demands,  and  the  captain-general  cooler  and  more 
copious  in  his  replies;  until  the  old  lion-hearted  sol 
dier  absolutely  roared  with  fury  at  being  thus  entangled 
in  the  meshes  of  legal  controversy. 

While  the  subtle  escribano  was  thus  amusing  him 
self  at  the  expense  of  the  governor,  he  was  conducting 
the  trial  of  the  corporal,  who,  mewed  up  in  a  narrow 
dungeon  of  the  prison,  had  merely  a  small  grated  win 
dow  at  which  to  show  his  iron-bound  visage  and  re 
ceive  the  consolations  of  his  friends. 

A  mountain  of  written  testimony  was  diligently 
heaped  up,  according  to  Spanish  form,  by  the  indefat 
igable  escribano;  the  corporal  was  completely  over 
whelmed  by  it.  He  was  convicted  of  murder  and 
sentenced  to  be  hanged. 

It  was  in  vain  the  governor  sent  down  remonstrance 
and  menace  from  the  Alhambra.  The  fatal  day  was 
at  hand,  and  the  corporal  was  put  in  capilla,  that  is  to 
say,  in  the  chapel  of  the  prison,  as  is  always  done  with 
culprits  the  day  before  execution,  that  they  may  medi 
tate  on  their  approaching  end  and  repent  them  of  their 
sins. 

Seeing  things  drawing  to  extremity,  the  old  gov 
ernor  determined  to  attend  to  the  affair  in  person.  For 
this  purpose  he  ordered  out  his  carriage  of  state,  and, 
surrounded  by  his  guards,  rumbled  down  the  avenue 
of  the  Alhambra  into  the  city.  Driving  to  the  house 
of  the  escribano,  he  summoned  him  to  the  portal. 


286  THE  ALHAMBRA 

The  eye  of  the  old  governor  gleamed  like  a  coal  at 
beholding  the  smirking  man  of  the  law  advancing  with 
an  air  of  exultation. 

"  What  is  this  I  hear,"  cried  he,  "  that  you  are  about 
to  put  to  death  one  of  my  soldiers  ?  " 

"  All  according  to  law  —  all  in  strict  form  of  jus 
tice,"  said  the  self-sufficient  escribano,  chuckling  and 
rubbing  his  hands ;  "  I  can  show  your  Excellency  the 
written  testimony  in  the  case." 

"  Fetch  it  hither,"  said  the  governor.  The  escribano 
bustled  into  his  office,  delighted  with  having  another 
opportunity  of  displaying  his  ingenuity  at  the  expense 
of  the  hard-headed  veteran. 

He  returned  with  a  satchel  full  of  papers,  and  began 
to  read  a  long  deposition  with  professional  volubility. 
By  this  time  a  crowd  had  collected,  listening  with  out 
stretched  necks  and  gaping  mouths. 

"  Prithee,  man,  get  into  the  carriage,  out  of  this 
pestilent  throng,  that  I  may  the  better  hear  thee,"  said 
the  governor. 

The  escribano  entered  the  carriage,  when,  in  a  twin 
kling,  the  door  was  closed,  the  coachman  smacked  his 
whip,  —  mules,  carriage,  guards,  and  all  dashed  off  at 
a  thundering  rate,  leaving  the  crowd  in  gaping  won 
derment;  nor  did  the  governor  pause  until  he  had 
lodged  his  prey  in  one  of  the  strongest  dungeons  of 
the  Alhambra. 

He  then  sent  down  a  flag  of  truce  in  military  style, 
proposing  a  cartel,  or  exchange  of  prisoners,  —  the 
corporal  for  the  notary.  The  pride  of  the  captain- 
general  was  piqued;  he  returned  a  contemptuous  re 
fusal,  and  forthwith  caused  a  gallows,  tall  and  strong, 
to  be  erected  in  the  centre  of  the  Plaza  Nueva  for  the 
execution  of  the  corporal. 

"  Oho !  is  that  the  game  ?  "  said  Governor  Manco. 
He  gave  orders,  and  immediately  a  gibbet  was  reared 
on  the  verge  of  the  great  beetling  bastion  that  over- 


THE  GOVERNOR  AND  THE  NOTARY  287 

looked  the  Plaza.  "  Now,"  said  he,  in  a  message  to 
the  captain-general,  "  hang  my  soldier  when  you 
please;  but  at  the  same  time  that  he  is  swung  off  in 
the  square,  look  up  to  see  your  escribano  dangling 
against  the  sky." 

The  captain-general  was  inflexible;  troops  were 
paraded  in  the  square;  the  drums  beat,  the  bell  tolled. 
An  immense  multitude  of  amateurs  gathered  together 
to  behold  the  execution.  On  the  other  hand,  the  gov 
ernor  paraded  his  garrison  on  the  bastion,  and  tolled 
the  funeral  dirge  of  the  notary  from  the  Torre  de  la 
Campana,  or  Tower  of  the  Bell. 

The  notary's  wife  pressed  through  the  crowd,  with 
a  whole  progeny  of  little  embryo  escribanos  at  her 
heels,  and  throwing  herself  at  the  feet  of  the  captain- 
general,  implored  him  not  to  sacrifice  the  life  of  her 
husband,  and  the  welfare  of  herself  and  her  numerous 
little  ones,  to  a  point  of  pride ;  "  for  you  know  the 
old  governor  too  well,"  said  she,  "  to  doubt  that  he 
will  put  his  threat  in  execution,  if  you  hang  the 
soldier." 

The  captain-general  was  overpowered  by  her  tears 
and  lamentations,  and  the  clamors  of  her  callow  brood. 
The  corporal  was  sent  up  to  the  Alhambra,  under  a 
guard,  in  his  gallows  garb,  like  a  hooded  friar,  but 
with  head  erect  and  a  face  of  iron.  The  escribano  was 
demanded  in  exchange,  according  to  the  cartel.  The 
once  bustling  and  self-sufficient  man  of  the  law  was 
drawn  forth  from  his  dungeon  more  dead  than  alive. 
All  his  flippancy  and  conceit  had  evaporated ;  his  hair, 
it  is  said,  had  nearly  turned  gray  with  affright,  and 
he  had  a  downcast,  dogged  look,  as  if  he  still  felt  the 
halter  round  his  neck. 

The  old  governor  stuck  his  one  arm  akimbo,  and  for 
a  moment  surveyed  him  with  an  iron  smile.  "  Hence 
forth,  my  friend,"  said  he,  "  moderate  your  zeal  in 
hurrying  others  to  the  gallows;  be  not  too  certain  of 


288  THE  ALHAMBRA 

your  safety,  even  though  you  should  have  the  law  on 
your  side;  and  above  all  take  care  how  you  play  off 
your  schoolcraft  another  time  upon  an  old  soldier." 


GOVERNOR   MANGO  AND   THE 
SOLDIER 

WHILE  Governor  Manco,  or  "  the  one-armed,"  kept 
up  a  show  of  military  state  in  the  Alhambra,  he  became 
nettled  at  the  reproaches  continually  cast  upon  his  for 
tress,  of  being  a  nestling-place  of  rogues  and  contra- 
bandistas.  On  a  sudden,  the  old  potentate  determined 
on  reform,  and  setting  vigorously  to  work,  ejected 
whole  nests  of  vagabonds  out  of  the  fortress  and  the 
gypsy  caves  with  which  the  surrounding  hills  are 
honeycombed.  He  sent  out  soldiers,  also,  to  patrol  the 
avenues  and  footpaths,  with  orders  to  take  up  all  sus 
picious  persons. 

One  bright  summer  morning  a  patrol,  consisting  of 
the  testy  old  corporal  who  had  distinguished  himself  in 
the  affair  of  the  notary,  a  trumpeter,  and  two  privates, 
was  seated  under  the  garden-wall  of  the  Generalife, 
beside  the  road  which  leads  down  from  the  Mountain 
of  the  Sun,  when  they  heard  the  tramp  of  a  horse,  and 
a  male  voice  singing  in  rough,  though  not  unmusical 
tones,  an  old  Castilian  campaigning-song. 

Presently  they  beheld  a  sturdy,  sunburnt  fellow, 
clad  in  the  ragged  garb  of  a  foot-soldier,  leading  a 
powerful  Arabian  horse  caparisoned  in  the  ancient 
Morisco  fashion. 

Astonished  at  the  sight  of  a  strange  soldier  descend 
ing,  steed  in  hand,  from  that  solitary  mountain,  the 
corporal  stepped  forth  and  challenged  him. 

"Who  goes  there?" 


THE  GOVERNOR  AND  THE  SOLDIER    289 

"  A  friend." 

"  Who  and  what  are  you?  " 

"  A  poor  soldier  just  from  the  wars,  with  a  cracked 
crown  and  empty  purse  for  a  reward." 

By  this  time  they  were  enabled  to  view  him  more 
narrowly.  He  had  a  black  patch  across  his  forehead, 
which,  with  a  grizzled  beard,  added  to  a  certain  dare 
devil  cast  of  countenance,  while  a  slight  squint  threw 
into  the  whole  an  occasional  gleam  of  roguish  good- 
humor. 

Having  answered  the  questions  of  the  patrol,  the 
soldier  seemed  to  consider  himself  entitled  to  make 
others  in  return.  "  May  I  ask,"  said  he,  "  what  city 
is  that  which  I  see  at  the  foot  of  the  hill?  " 

"What  city!"  cried  the  trumpeter;  "come,  that's 
too  bad.  Here 's  a  fellow  lurking  about  the  Mountain 
of  the  Sun,  and  demands  the  name  of  the  great  city 
of  Granada !  " 

"Granada!   MadrediDios!   can  it  be  possible ?" 

"  Perhaps  not!  "  rejoined  the  trumpeter;  "  and  per 
haps  you  have  no  idea  that  yonder  are  the  towers  of 
the  Alhambra." 

"  Son  of  a  trumpet,"  replied  the  stranger,  "  do  not 
trifle  with  me;  if  this  be  indeed  the  Alhambra,  I 
have  some  strange  matters  to  reveal  to  the  governor." 

"  You  will  have  an  opportunity,"  said  the  corporal, 
"  for  we  mean  to  take  you  before  him."  By  this  time 
the  trumpeter  had  seized  the  bridle  of  the  steed,  the 
two  privates  had  each  secured  an  arm  of  the  soldier, 
the  corporal  put  himself  in  front,  gave  the  word,"  For 
ward  —  march !  "  and  away  they  marched  for  the 
Alhambra. 

The  sight  of  a  ragged  foot-soldier  and  a  fine  Ara 
bian  horse,  brought  in  captive  by  the  patrol,  attracted 
the  attention  of  all  the  idlers  of  the  fortress,  and  of 
those  gossip  groups  that  generally  assemble  about 
wells  and  fountains  at  early  dawn.  The  wheel  of  the 

19 


290  THE  ALHAMBRA 

cistern  paused  in  its  rotations,  and  the  slipshod  servant- 
maid  stood  gaping,  with  pitcher  in  hand,  as  the  cor 
poral  passed  by  with  his  prize.  A  motley  train  gradu 
ally  gathered  in  the  rear  of  the  escort. 

Knowing  nods  and  winks  and  conjectures  passed 
from  one  to  another.  "It  is  a  deserter,"  said  one; 
"A  contrabandista,"  said  another;  "A  bandolero," 
said  a  third ;  —  until  it  was  affirmed  that  a  captain  of 
a  desperate  band  of  robbers  had  been  captured  by  the 
prowess  of  the  corporal  and  his  patrol.  "  Well,  well," 
said  the  old  crones,  one  to  another,  "  captain  or  not, 
let  him  get  out  of  the  grasp  of  old  Governor  Manco  if 
he  can,  though  he  is  but  one-handed." 

Governor  Manco  was  seated  in  one  of  the  inner  halls 
of  the  Alhambra,  taking  his  morning's  cup  of  choco 
late  in  company  with  his  confessor,  —  a  fat  Franciscan 
friar,  from  the  neighboring  convent.  A  demure,  dark- 
eyed  damsel  of  Malaga,  the  daughter  of  his  house 
keeper,  was  attending  upon  him.  The  world  hinted 
that  the  damsel,  who,  with  all  her  demureness,  was  a 
sly  buxom  baggage,  had  found  out  a  soft  spot  in  the 
iron  heart  of  the  old  governor,  and  held  complete  con 
trol  over  him.  But  let  that  pass  —  the  domestic  affairs 
of  these  mighty  potentates  of  the  earth  should  not  be 
too  narrowly  scrutinized. 

When  word  was  brought  that  a  suspicious  stranger 
had  been  taken  lurking  about  the  fortress,  and  was 
actually  in  the  outer  court,  in  durance  of  the  corporal, 
waiting  the  pleasure  of  his  Excellency,  the  pride  and 
stateliness  of  office  swelled  the  bosom  of  the  governor. 
Giving  back  his  chocolate-cup  into  the  hands  of  the 
demure  damsel,  he  called  for  his  basket-hilted  sword, 
girded  it  to  his  side,  twirled  up  his  moustaches,  took 
his  seat  in  a  large  high-backed  chair,  assumed  a  bitter 
and  forbidding  aspect,  and  ordered  the  prisoner  into 
his  presence.  The  soldier  was  brought  in,  still  closely 
pinioned  by  his  captors,  and  guarded  by  the  corporal. 


THE  GOVERNOR  AND  THE  SOLDIER    291 

He  maintained,  however,  a  resolute  self-confident  air, 
and  returned  the  sharp,  scrutinizing  look  of  the  gov 
ernor  with  an  easy  squint,  which  by  no  means  pleased 
the  punctilious  old  potentate. 

"  Well,  culprit,"  said  the  governor,  after  he  had  re 
garded  him  for  a  moment  in  silence,  "  what  have  you 
to  say  for  yourself  —  who  are  you  ?  " 

"  A  soldier,  just  from  the  wars,  who  has  brought 
away  nothing  but  scars  and  bruises." 

"  A  soldier  —  humph  —  a  foot-soldier  by  your  garb. 
I  understand  you  have  a  fine  Arabian  horse.  I  pre 
sume  you  brought  him  too  from  the  wars,  besides  your 
scars  and  bruises." 

"  May  it  please  your  Excellency,  I  have  something 
strange  to  tell  about  that  horse.  Indeed  I  have  one  of 
the  most  wonderful  things  to  relate.  Something  too 
that  concerns  the  security  of  this  fortress,  indeed  of  all 
Granada.  But  it  is  a  matter  to  be  imparted  only  to 
your  private  ear,  or  in  presence  of  such  only  as  are 
in  your  confidence." 

The  governor  considered  for  a  moment,  and  then 
directed  the  corporal  and  his  men  to  withdraw,  but  to 
post  themselves  outside  of  the  door,  and  be  ready  at  a 
call.  "  This  holy  friar,"  said  he,  "  is  my  confessor, 
you  may  say  anything  in  his  presence ;  —  and  this 
damsel,"  nodding  towards  the  handmaid,  who  had 
loitered  with  an  air  of  great  curiosity,  "  this  damsel 
is  of  great  secrecy  and  discretion,  and  to  be  trusted 
with  anything." 

The  soldier  gave  a  glance  between  a  squint  and  a 
leer  at  the  demure  handmaid.  "  I  am  perfectly  will 
ing,"  said  he,  "  that  the  damsel  should  remain." 

When  all  the  rest  had  withdrawn,  the  soldier  com 
menced  his  story.  He  was  a  fluent,  smooth-tongued 
varlet,  and  had  a  command  of  language  above  his  ap 
parent  rank. 

"  May  it  please  your  Excellency,"  said  he,  "  I  am, 


292  THE  ALHAMBRA 

as  I  before  observed,  a  soldier,  and  have  seen  some 
hard  service,  but  my  term  of  enlistment  being-  expired, 
I  was  discharged,  not  long  since,  from  the  army  at 
Valladolid,  and  set  out  on  foot  for  my  native  village 
in  Andalusia.  Yesterday  evening  the  sun  went  down 
as  I  was  traversing  a  great  dry  plain  of  Old  Castile." 

"  Hold !  "  cried  the  governor,  "  what  is  this  you  say? 
Old  Castile  is  some  two  or  three  hundred  miles  from 
this." 

"  Even  so,"  replied  the  soldier,  coolly.  "  I  told  your 
Excellency  I  had  strange  things  to  relate;  but  not 
more  strange  than  true,  as  your  Excellency  will  find, 
if  you  will  deign  me  a  patient  hearing." 

"  Proceed,  culprit,"  said  the  governor,  twirling  up 
his  moustaches. 

"  As  the  sun  went  down,"  continued  the  soldier,  "  I 
cast  my  eyes  about  in  search  of  quarters  for  the  night, 
but  as  far  as  my  sight  could  reach  there  were  no  signs 
of  habitation.  I  saw  that  I  should  have  to  make  my 
bed  on  the  naked  plain,  with  my  knapsack  for  a  pillow ; 
but  your  Excellency  is  an  old  soldier,  and  knows  that 
to  one  who  has  been  in  the  wars,  such  a  night's  lodging 
is  no  great  hardship." 

The  governor  nodded  assent,  as  he  drew  his  pocket- 
handkerchief  out  of  the  basket-hilt  to  drive  away  a 
fly  that  buzzed  about  his  nose. 

"  Well,  to  make  a  long  story  short,"  continued  the 
soldier,  "  I  trudged  forward  for  several  miles  until  I 
came  to  a  bridge  over  a  deep  ravine,  through  which 
ran  a  little  thread  of  water,  almost  dried  up  by  the 
summer  heat.  At  one  end  of  the  bridge  was  a  Moorish 
tower,  the  upper  end  all  in  ruins,  but  a  vault  in  the 
foundation  quite  entire.  Here,  thinks  I,  is  a  good  place 
to  make  a  halt ;  so  I  went  down  to  the  stream,  and  took 
a  hearty  drink,  for  the  water  was  pure  and  sweet,  and 
I  was  parched  with  thirst ;  then,  opening  my  wallet,  I 
took  out  an  onion  and  a  few  crusts,  which  were  all 


THE  GOVERNOR  AND  THE  SOLDIER    293 

my  provisions,  and  seating  myself  on  a  stone  on  the 
margin  of  the  stream,  began  to  make  my  supper,  — 
intending  afterwards  to  quarter  myself  for  the  night 
in  the  vault  of  the  tower;  and  capital  quarters  they 
would  have  been  for  a  campaigner  just  from  the  wars, 
as  your  Excellency,  who  is  an  old  soldier,  may 
suppose." 

"  I  have  put  up  gladly  with  worse  in  my  time,"  said 
the  governor,  returning  his  pocket-handkerchief  into 
the  hilt  of  his  sword. 

"  While  I  was  quietly  crunching  my  crust,"  pur 
sued  the  soldier,  "  I  heard  something  stir  within  the 
vault ;  I  listened  —  it  was  the  tramp  of  a  horse.  By- 
and-by  a  man  came  forth  from  a  door  in  the  founda 
tion  of  the  tower,  close  by  the  water's  edge,  leading 
a  powerful  horse  by  the  bridle.  I  could  not  well  make 
out  what  he  was,  by  the  starlight.  It  had  a  suspicious 
look  to  be  lurking  among  the  ruins  of  a  tower,  in  that 
wild  solitary  place.  He  might  be  a  mere  wayfarer, 
like  myself;  he  might  be  a  contrabandista ;  he  might 
be  a  bandolero !  what  of  that  ?  thank  heaven  and  my 
poverty,  I  had  nothing  to  lose;  so  I  sat  still  and 
crunched  my  crust. 

"  He  led  his  horse  to  the  water,  close  by  where  I 
was  sitting,  so  that  I  had  a  fair  opportunity  of  recon 
noitring  him.  To  my  surprise  he  was  dressed  in  a 
Moorish  garb,  with  a  cuirass  of  steel,  and  a  polished 
skull-cap  that  I  distinguished  by  the  reflection  of  the 
stars  upon  it.  His  horse,  too,  was  harnessed  in  the 
Morisco  fashion,  with  great  shovel  stirrups.  He  led 
him,  as  I  said,  to  the  side  of  the  stream,  into  which 
the  animal  plunged  his  head  almost  to  the  eyes,  and 
drank  until  I  thought  he  would  have  burst. 

"  '  Comrade,'  said  I,  '  your  steed  drinks  well ;  it's 
a  good  sign  when  a  horse  plunges  his  muzzle  bravely 
into  the  water.' 

"  '  He  may  well  drink,'  said  the  stranger,  speaking 


294  THE  ALHAMBRA 

with  a  Moorish  accent ;  '  it  is  a  good  year  since  he  had 
his  last  draught.' 

"  '  By  Santiago/  said  I,  '  that  beats  even  the  camels 
I  have  seen  in  Africa.  But  come,  you  seem  to  be 
something  of  a  soldier,  will  you  sit  down  and  take 
part  of  a  soldier's  fare?'  In  fact,  I  felt  the  want  of 
a  companion  in  this  lonely  place,  and  was  willing  to 
put  up  with  an  infidel.  Besides,  as  your  Excellency 
well  knows,  a  soldier  is  never  very  particular  about 
the  faith  of  his  company,  and  soldiers  of  all  countries 
are  comrades  on  peaceable  ground." 

The  governor  .again  nodded  assent. 

"  Well,  as  I  was  saying,  I  invited  him  to  share  my 
supper,  such  as  it  was,  for  I  could  not  do  less  in  com 
mon  hospitality.  '  I  have  no  time  to  pause  for  meat 
or  drink,'  said  he,  '  I  have  a  long  journey  to  make  be 
fore  morning.' 

"  '  In  what  direction  ?  '  said  I. 

"  '  Andalusia,'  said  he. 

"  '  Exactly  my  route/  said  I ;  'so,  as  you  won't 
stop  and  eat  with  me,  perhaps  you  will  let  me  mount 
and  ride  with  you.  I  see  your  horse  is  of  a  powerful 
frame ;  I  '11  warrant  he  '11  carry  double.' 

"  '  Agreed/  said  the  trooper;  and  it  would  not  have 
been  civil  and  soldierlike  to  refuse,  especially  as  I  had 
offered  to  share  my  supper  with  him.  So  up  he 
mounted,  and  up  I  mounted  behind  him. 

" '  Hold  fast/  said  he,  '  my  steed  goes  like  the  wind.' 

"  '  Never  fear  me/  said  I,  and  so  off  we  set. 

"  From  a  walk  the  horse  soon  passed  to  a  trot,  from 
a  trot  to  a  gallop,  and  from  a  gallop  to  a  harum-scarum 
scamper.  It  seemed  as  if  rocks,  trees,  houses,  every 
thing  flew  hurry-scurry  behind  us. 

"  '  What  town  is  this  ? '  said  I. 

"  '  Segovia/  said  he ;  and  before  the  word  was  out 
of  his  mouth,  the  towers  of  Segovia  were  out  of 
sight.  We  swept  up  the  Guadarama  mountains,  and 


THE  GOVERNOR  AND  THE  SOLDIER    295 

down  by  the  Escurial ;  and  we  skirted  the  walls  of 
Madrid,  and  we  scoured  away  across  the  plains  of  La 
Mancha.  In  this  way  we  went  up  hill  and  down  dale, 
by  towers  and  cities,  all  buried  in  deep  sleep,  and  across 
mountains,  and  plains,  and  rivers,  just  glimmering  in 
the  starlight. 

"  To  make  a  long  story  short,  and  not  to  fatigue 
your  Excellency,  the  trooper  suddenly  pulled  up  on  the 
side  of  a  mountain.  '  Here  we  are,'  said  he,  '  at  the 
end  of  our  journey.'  I  looked  about,  but  could  see  no 
signs  of  habitation,  nothing  but  the  mouth  of  a  cavern. 
While  I  looked  I  saw  multitudes  of  people  in  Moorish 
dresses,  some  on  horseback,  some  on  foot,  arriving  as 
if  borne  by  the  wind  from  all  points  of  the  compass, 
and  hurrying  into  the  mouth  of  the  cavern  like  bees 
into  a  hive.  Before  I  could  ask  a  question,  the  trooper 
struck  his  long  Moorish  spurs  into  the  horse's  flanks, 
and  dashed  in  with  the  throng.  We  passed  along  a 
steep  winding  way,  that  descended  into  the  very  bowels 
of  the  mountain.  As  we  pushed  on,  a  light  began  to 
glimmer  up,  by  little  and  little,  like  the  first  glimmer 
ings  of  day,  but  what  caused  it  I  could  not  discern. 
It  grew  stronger  and  stronger,  and  enabled  me  to  see 
everything  around.  I  now  noticed,  as  we  passed  along, 
great  caverns,  opening  to  the  right  and  left,  like  halls 
in  an  arsenal.  In  some  there  were  shields,  and  hel 
mets,  and  cuirasses,  and  lances,  and  cimeters,  hanging 
against  the  walls;  in  others  there  were  great  heaps 
of  warlike  munitions  and  camp-equipage  lying  upon 
the  ground. 

"  It  would  have  done  your  Excellency's  heart  good, 
being  an  old  soldier,  to  have  seen  such  grand  provi 
sion  for  war.  Then,  in  other  caverns,  there  were  long 
rows  of  horsemen  armed  to  the  teeth,  with  lances  raised 
and  banners  unfurled,  all  ready  for  the  field ;  but  they 
all  sat  motionless  in  their  saddles,  like  so  many  statues. 
In  other  halls  were  warriors  sleeping  on  the  ground 


296  THE  ALHAMBRA 

beside  their  horses,  and  foot-soldiers  in  groups  ready 
to  fall  into  the  ranks.  All  were  in  old-fashioned 
Moorish  dresses  and  armor. 

"  Well,  your  Excellency,  to  cut  a  long  story  short, 
we  at  length  entered  an  immense  cavern,  or  I  may  say 
palace,  of  grotto-work,  the  walls  of  which  seemed  to 
be  veined  with  gold  and  silver,  and  to  sparkle  with 
diamonds  and  sapphires  and  all  kinds  of  precious 
stones.  At  the  upper  end  sat  a  Moorish  king  on  a 
golden  throne,  with  his  nobles  on  each  side,  and  a 
guard  of  African  blacks  with  drawn  cimeters.  All 
the  crowd  that  continued  to  flock  in,  and  amounted  to 
thousands  and  thousands,  passed  one  by  one  before 
his  throne,  each  paying  homage  as  he  passed.  Some 
of  the  multitude  were  dressed  in  magnificent  robes, 
without  stain  or  blemish,  and  sparkling  with  jewels; 
others  in  burnished  and  enamelled  armor ;  while  others 
were  in  mouldered  and  mildewed  garments,  and  in 
armor  all  battered  and  dented  and  covered  with 
rust. 

"  I  had  hitherto  held  my  tongue,  for  your  Excel 
lency  well  knows  it  is  not  for  a  soldier  to  ask  many 
questions  when  on  duty,  but  I  could  keep  silent  no 
longer. 

"  '  Prithee,  comrade,'  said  I,  '  what  is  the  meaning 
of  all  this?' 

"  '  This/  said  the  trooper,  *  is  a  great  and  fearful 
mystery.  Know,  O  Christian,  that  you  see  before 
you  the  court  and  army  of  Boabdil  the  last  king  of 
Granada.' 

"  *  What  is  this  you  tell  me?  '  cried  I,  '  Boabdil  and 
his  court  were  exiled  from  the  land  hundreds  of  years 
agone,  and  all  died  in  Africa.' 

"  '  So  it  is  recorded  in  your  lying  chronicles,'  re 
plied  the  Moor ;  '  but  know  that  Boabdil  and  the  war 
riors  who  made  the  last  struggle  for  Granada  were 
all  shut  up  in  the  mountain  by  powerful  enchantment. 


THE  GOVERNOR  AND  THE  SOLDIER    297 

As  for  the  king  and  army  that  marched  forth  from 
Granada  at  the  time  of  the  surrender,  they  were  a 
mere  phantom  train  of  spirits  and  demons,  permitted 
to  assume  those  shapes  to  deceive  the  Christian  sover 
eigns.  And  furthermore  let  me  tell  you,  friend,  that 
all  Spain  is  a  country  under  the  power  of  enchant 
ment.  There  is  not  a  mountain  cave,  not  a  lonely 
watch-tower  in  the  plains,  nor  ruined  castle  on  the  hills, 
but  has  some  spell-bound  warriors  sleeping  from  age 
to  age  within  its  vaults,  until  the  sins  are  expiated  for 
which  Allah  permitted  the  dominion  to  pass  for  a  time 
out  of  the  hands  of  the  faithful.  Once  every  year,  on 
the  eve  of  St.  John,  they  are  released  from  enchant 
ment,  from  sunset  to  sunrise,  and  permitted  to  repair 
here  to  pay  homage  to  their  sovereign !  and  the  crowds 
which  you  beheld  swarming  into  the  cavern  are  Mos 
lem  warriors  from  their  haunts  in  all  parts  of  Spain. 
For  my  own  part,  you  saw  the  ruined  tower  of  the 
bridge  in  Old  Castile,  where  I  have  now  wintered  and 
summered  for  many  hundred  years,  and  where  I  must 
be  back  again  by  daybreak.  As  to  the  battalions  of 
horse  and  foot  which  you  beheld  drawn  up  in  array  in 
the  neighboring  caverns,  they  are  the  spell-bound  war 
riors  of  Granada.  It  is  written  in  the  book  of  fate, 
that  when  the  enchantment  is  broken,  Boabdil  will  de 
scend  from  the  mountain  at  the  head  of  this  army, 
resume  his  throne  in  the  Alhambra  and  his  sway  of 
Granada,  and  gathering  together  the  enchanted  war 
riors  from  all  parts  of  Spain,  will  reconquer  the  Penin 
sula  and  restore  it  to  Moslem  rule.' 

"  '  And  when  shall  this  happen  ?  '  said  I. 

"  '  Allah  alone  knows :  we  had  hoped  the  day  of 
deliverance  was  at  hand ;  but  there  reigns  at  present 
a  vigilant  governor  in  the  Alhambra,  a  stanch  old 
soldier,  well  known  as  Governor  Manco.  While  such 
a  warrior  holds  command  of  the  very  outpost,  and 
stands  ready  to  check  the  first  irruption  from  the 


298  THE  ALHAMBRA 

mountain,  I  fear  Boabdil  and  his  soldiery  must  be  con 
tent  to  rest  upon  their  arms.' ' 

Here  the  governor  raised  himself  somewhat  per 
pendicularly,  adjusted  his  sword,  and  twirled  up  his 
moustaches. 

"  To  make  a  long  story  short,  and  not  to  fatigue 
your  Excellency,  the  trooper,  having  given  me  this 
account,  dismounted  from  his  steed. 

"  '  Tarry  here,'  said  he,  '  and  guard  my  steed  while 
I  go  and  bow  the  knee  to  Boabdil.'  So  saying,  he 
strode  away  among  the  throng  that  pressed  forward  to 
the  throne. 

"'What's  to  be  done?'  thought  I,  when  thus  left 
to  myself ;  '  shall  I  wait  here  until  this  infidel  returns 
to  whisk  me  off  on  his  goblin  steed,  the  Lord  knows 
where;  or  shall  I  make  the  most  of  my  time  and 
beat  a  retreat  from  this  hobgoblin  community  ?  '  A 
soldier's  mind  is  soon  made  up,  as  your  Excellency 
well  knows.  As  to  the  horse,  he  belonged  to  an 
avowed  enemy  of  the  faith  and  the  realm,  and  was  a 
fair-  prize  according  to  the  rules  of  war.  So  hoisting 
myself  from  the  crupper  into  the  saddle,  I  turned  the 
reins,  struck  the  Moorish  stirrups  into  the  sides  of  the 
steed,  and  put  him  to  make  the  best  of  his  way  out  of 
the  passage  by  which  he  had  entered.  As  we  scoured 
by  the  halls  where  the  Moslem  horsemen  sat  in  motion 
less  battalions,  I  thought  I  heard  the  clang  of  armor 
and  a  hollow  murmur  of  voices.  I  gave  the  steed 
another  taste  of  the  stirrups  and  doubled  my  speed. 
There  was  now  a  sound  behind  me  like  a  rushing  blast ; 
I  heard  the  clatter  of  a  thousand  hoofs;  a  countless 
throng  overtook  me.  I  was  borne  along  in  the  press, 
and  hurled  forth  from  the  mouth  of  the  cavern,  while 
thousands  of  shadowy  forms  were  swept  off  in  every 
direction  by  the  four  winds  of  heaven. 

"  In  the  whirl  and  confusion  of  the  scene  I  was 
thrown  senseless  to  the  earth.  When  I  came  to  my- 


THE  GOVERNOR  AND  THE  SOLDIER    299 

self,  I  was  lying  on  the  brow  of  a  hill,  with  the  Ara 
bian  steed  standing  beside  me ;  for  in  falling,  my  arm 
had  slipped  within  the  bridle,  which,  I  presume,  pre 
vented  his  whisking  off  to  Old  Castile. 

"  Your  Excellency  may  easily  judge  of  my  surprise, 
on  looking  round,  to  behold  hedges  of  aloes  and  Indian 
figs  and  other  proofs  of  a  southern  climate,  and  to  see 
a  great  city  below  me,  with  towers,  and  palaces,  and 
a  grand  cathedral. 

"  I  descended  the  hill  cautiously,  leading  my  steed, 
for  I  was  afraid  to  mount  him  again,  lest  he  should 
play  me  some  slippery  trick.  As  I  descended  I  met 
with  your  patrol,  who  let  me  into  the  secret  that  it  was 
Granada  that  lay  before  me,  and  that  I  was  actually 
under  the  walls  of  the  Alhambra,  the  fortress  of  the 
redoubted  Governor  Manco,  the  terror  of  all  en 
chanted  Moslems.  When  I  heard  this,  I  determined  at 
once  to  seek  your  Excellency,  to  inform  you  of  all 
that  I  had  seen,  and  to  warn  you  of  the  perils  that 
surround  and  undermine  you,  that  you  may  take  meas 
ures  in  time  to  guard  your  fortress,  and  the  kingdom 
itself,  from  this  intestine  army  that  lurks  in  the  very 
bowels  of  the  land." 

"  And  prithee,  friend,  you  who  are  a  veteran  cam 
paigner,  and  have  seen  so  much  service,"  said  the  gov 
ernor,  "  how  would  you  advise  me  to  proceed,  in  order 
to  prevent  this  evil  ?  " 

"  It  is  not  for  a  humble  private  of  the  ranks,"  said 
the  soldier,  modestly,  "  to  pretend  to  instruct  a  com 
mander  of  your  Excellency's  sagacity,  but  it  appears 
to  me  that  your  Excellency  might  cause  all  the  caves 
and  entrances  into  the  mountains  to  be  walled  up  with 
solid  mason-work,  so  that  Boabdil  and  his  army  might 
be  completely  corked  up  in  their  subterranean  habita 
tion.  If  the  good  father,  too,"  added  the  soldier, 
reverently  bowing  to  the  friar,  and  devoutly  crossing 
himself,  "  would  consecrate  the  barricadoes  with  his 


3oo  THE  ALHAMBRA 

blessing,  and  put  up  a  few  crosses  and  relics  and  im 
ages  of  saints,  I  think  they  might  withstand  all  the 
power  of  infidel  enchantments." 

"  They  doubtless  would  be  of  great  avail,"  said  the 
friar. 

The  governor  now  placed  his  arm  akimbo,  with  his 
hand  resting  on  the  hilt  of  his  toledo,  fixed  his  eye 
upon  the  soldier,  and  gently  wragging  his  head  from 
one  side  to  the  other,  — 

"  So,  friend,"  said  he,  "  then  you  really  suppose  I 
am  to  be  gulled  with  this  cock-and-bull  story  about 
enchanted  mountains  and  enchanted  Moors?  Hark 
ye,  culprit !  —  not  another  word.  An  old  soldier  you 
may  be,  but  you  '11  find  you  have  an  older  soldier  to 
deal  with,  and  one  not  easily  outgeneralled.  Ho! 
guards  there!  put  this  fellow  in  irons." 

The  demure  handmaid  would  have  put  in  a  word 
in  favor  of  the  prisoner,  but  the  governor  silenced  her 
with  a  look. 

As  they  were  pinioning  the  soldier,  one  of  the 
guards  felt  something  of  bulk  in  his  pocket,  and  draw 
ing  it  forth,  found  a  long  leathern  purse  that  appeared 
to  be  well  filled.  Holding  it  by  one  corner,  he  turned 
out  the  contents  upon  the  table  before  the  governor, 
and  never  did  freebooter's  bag  make  more  gorgeous 
delivery.  Out  tumbled  rings,  and  jewels,  and  rosaries 
of  pearls,  and  sparkling  diamond  crosses,  and  a  pro 
fusion  of  ancient  golden  coin,  some  of  which  fell 
jingling  to  the  floor,  and  rolled  away  to  the  uttermost 
parts  of  the  chamber. 

For  a  time  the  functions  of  justice  were  suspended ; 
there  was  a  universal  scramble  after  the  glittering 
fugitives.  The  governor  alone,  who  was  imbued  with 
true  Spanish  pride,  maintained  his  stately  decorum, 
though  his  eye  betrayed  a  little  anxiety  until  the  last 
coin  and  jewel  was  restored  to  the  sack. 

The  friar  was  not  so  calm;   his  whole  face  glowed 


THE  GOVERNOR  AND  THE  SOLDIER    301 

like  a  furnace,  and  his  eyes  twinkled  and  flashed  at 
sight  of  the  rosaries  and  crosses. 

"  Sacrilegious  wretch  that  thou  art!  "  exclaimed  he; 
"  what  church  or  sanctuary  hast  thou  been  plundering 
of  these  sacred  relics?" 

"  Neither  one  nor  the  other,  holy  father.  If  they 
be  sacrilegious  spoils,  they  must  have  been  taken,  in 
times  long  past,  by  the  infidel  trooper  I  have  men 
tioned.  I  was  just  going  to  tell  his  Excellency  when 
he  interrupted  me,  that,  on  taking  possession  of  the 
trooper's  horse,  I  unhooked  a  leathern  sack  which 
hung  at  the  saddle-bow,  and  which  I  presume  con 
tained  the  plunder  of  his  campaignings  in  days  of  old, 
when  the  Moors  overran  the  country." 

"Mighty  well;  at  present  you  will  make  up  your 
mind  to  take  up  your  quarters  in  a  chamber  of  the 
Vermilion  Tower,  which,  though  not  under  a  magic 
spell,  will  hold  you  as  safe  as  any  cave  of  your  en 
chanted  Moors." 

"  Your  Excellency  will  do  as  you  think  proper," 
said  the  prisoner,  coolly.  "  I  shall  be  thankful  to  your 
Excellency  for  any  accommodation  in  the  fortress.  A 
soldier  who  has  been  in  the  w-ars,  as  your  Excellency 
well  knows,  is  not  particular  about  his  lodgings.  Pro 
vided  I  have  a  snug  dungeon  and  regular  rations,  I 
shall  manage  to  make  myself  comfortable.  I  would 
only  entreat  that  while  your  Excellency  is  so  careful 
about  me,  you  would  have  an  eye  to  your  fortress,  and 
think  on  the  hint  I  dropped  about  stopping  up  the  en 
trances  to  the  mountain." 

Here  ended  the  scene.  The  prisoner  was  conducted 
to  a  strong  dungeon  in  the  Vermilion  Tower,  the  Ara 
bian  steed  was  led  to  his  Excellency's  stable,  and  the 
trooper's  sack  was  deposited  in  his  Excellency's  strong 
box.  To  the  latter,  it  is  true,  the  friar  made  some 
demur,  questioning  whether  the  sacred  relics,  which 
were  evidently  sacrilegious  spoils,  should  not  be  placed 


302  THE  ALHAMBRA 

in  custody  of  the  church ;  but  as  the  governor  was 
peremptory  on  the  subject,  and  was  absolute  lord  in 
the  Alhambra,  the  friar  discreetly  dropped  the  discus 
sion,  but  determined  to  convey  intelligence  of  the  fact 
to  the  church  dignitaries  in  Granada. 

To  explain  these  prompt  and  rigid  measures  on  the 
part  of  old  Governor  Manco,  it  is  proper  to  observe, 
that  about  this  time  the  Alpuxarra  mountains  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Granada  were  terribly  infested  by  a 
gang  of  robbers,  under  the  command  of  a  daring  chief 
named  Manuel  Borasco,  who  were  accustomed  to  prowl 
about  the  country,  and  even  to  enter  the  city  in  various 
disguises,  to  gain  intelligence  of  the  departure  of  con 
voys  of  merchandise,  or  travellers  with  well-lined 
purses,  whom  they  took  care  to  waylay  in  distant  and 
solitary  passes  of  the  road.  These  repeated  and  dar 
ing  outrages  had  awakened  the  attention  of  govern 
ment,  and  the  commanders  of  the  various  posts  had 
received  instructions  to  be  on  the  alert,  and  to  take  up 
all  suspicious  stragglers.  Governor  Manco  was  par 
ticularly  zealous  in  consequence  of  the  various  stigmas 
that  had  been  cast  upon  his  fortress,  and  he  now 
doubted  not  he  had  entrapped  some  formidable  des 
perado  of  this  gang. 

In  the  mean  time  the  story  took  wind,  and  became 
the  talk,  not  merely  of  the  fortress,  but  of  the  whole 
city  of  Granada.  It  was  said  that  the  noted  robber 
Manuel  Borasco,  the  terror  of  the  Alpuxarras,  had 
fallen  into  the  clutches  of  old  Governor  Manco,  and 
been  cooped  up  by  him  in  a  dungeon  of  the  Vermilion 
Towers;  and  every  one  who  had  been  robbed  by  him 
flocked  to  recognize  the  marauder.  The  Vermilion 
Towers,  as  is  well  known,  stand  apart  from  the  Alham 
bra  on  a  sister  hill,  separated  from  the  main  fortress 
by  the  ravine  down  which  passes  the  main  avenue. 
There  were  no  outer  walls,  but  a  sentinel  patrolled  be 
fore  the  tower.  The  window  of  the  chamber  in  which 


THE  GOVERNOR  AND  THE  SOLDIER    303 

the  soldier  was  confined  was  strongly  grated,  and 
looked  upon  a  small  esplanade.  Here  the  good  folks 
of  Granada  repaired  to  gaze  at  him,  as  they  would  at 
a  laughing  hyena,  grinning  through  the  cage  of  a 
menagerie.  Nobody,  however,  recognized  him  for 
Manuel  Borasco,  for  that  terrible  robber  was  noted 
for  a  ferocious  physiognomy,  and  had  by  no  means  the 
good-humored  squint  of  the  prisoner.  Visitors  came 
not  merely  from  the  city,  but  from  all  parts  of  the 
country;  but  nobody  knew  him,  and  there  began  to 
to  be  doubts  in  the  minds  of  the  common  people 
whether  there  might  not  be  some  truth  in  his  story. 
That  Boabdil  and  his  army  were  shut  up  in  the  moun 
tain,  was  an  old  tradition  which  many  of  the  ancient 
inhabitants  had  heard  from  their  fathers.  Numbers 
went  up  to  the  Mountain  of  the  Sun,  or  rather  of  St. 
Elena,  in  search  of  the  cave  mentioned  by  the  soldier ; 
and  saw  and  peeped  into  the  deep  dark  pit,  descending, 
no  one  knows  how  far,  into  the  mountain,  and  which 
remains  there  to  this  day  —  the  fabled  entrance  to  the 
subterranean  abode  of  Boabdil. 

By  degrees  the  soldier  became  popular  with  the 
common  people.  A  freebooter  of  the  mountains  is  by 
no  means  the  opprobrious  character  in  Spain  that  a 
robber  is  in  any  other  country:  on  the  contrary,  he 
is  a  kind  of  chivalrous  personage  in  the  eyes  of  the 
lower  classes.  There  is  always  a  disposition,  also,  to 
cavil  at  the  conduct  of  those  in  command;  and  many 
began  to  murmur  at  the  high-handed  measures  of  old 
Governor  Manco,  and  to  look  upon  the  prisoner  in  the 
light  of  a  martyr. 

The  soldier,  moreover,  was  a  merry,  waggish  fel 
low,  that  had  a  joke  for  every  one  who  came  near  his 
window,  and  a  soft  speech  for  every  female.  He  had 
procured  an  old  guitar  also,  and  would  sit  by  his 
window  and  sing  ballads  and  love-ditties  to  the  delight 
of  the  women  of  the  neighborhood,  who  would  as- 


304  THE  ALHAMBRA 

semble  on  the  esplanade  in  the  evening  and  dance 
boleros  to  his  music.  Having  trimmed  off  his  rough 
beard,  his  sunburnt  face  found  favor  in  the  eyes  of  the 
fair,  and  the  demure  handmaid  of  the  governor  de 
clared  that  his  squint  was  perfectly  irresistible.  This 
kind-hearted  damsel  had  from  the  first  evinced  a  deep 
sympathy  in  his  fortunes,  and  having  in  vain  tried  to 
mollify  the  governor,  had  set  to  work  privately  to 
mitigate  the  rigor  of  his  dispensations.  Every  day 
she  brought  the  prisoner  some  crumbs  of  comfort 
which  had  fallen  from  the  governor's  table,  or  been 
abstracted  from  his  larder,  together  with,  now  and 
then,  a  consoling  bottle  of  choice  Val  de  Pefias,  or 
rich  Malaga. 

While  this  petty  treason  was  going  on  in  the  very 
centre  of  the  old  governor's  citadel,  a  storm  of  open 
war  was  brewing  up  among  his  external  foes.  The 
circumstance  of  a  bag  of  gold  and  jewels  having  been 
found  upon  the  person  of  the  supposed  robber,  had 
been  reported,  with  many  exaggerations,  in  Granada. 
A  question  of  territorial  jurisdiction  was  immediately 
started  by  the  governor's  inveterate  rival,  the  captain- 
general.  He  insisted  that  the  prisoner  had  been  cap 
tured  without  the  precincts  of  the  Alhambra,  and 
within  the  rules  of  his  authority.  He  demanded  his 
body  therefore,  and  the  spolia  opima  taken  with  him. 
Due  information  having  been  carried  likewise  by  the 
friar  to  the  grand  inquisitor  of  the  crosses  and  rosaries, 
and  other  relics  contained  in  the  bag,  he  claimed  the 
culprit  as  having  been  guilty  of  sacrilege,  and  insisted 
that  his  plunder  was  due  to  the  church,  and  his  body 
to  the  next  auto-da-fe.  The  feuds  ran  high ;  the  gov 
ernor  was  furious,  and  swore,  rather  than  surrender 
his  captive,  he  would  hang  him  up  within  the  Al 
hambra,  as  a  spy  caught  within  the  purlieus  of  the 
fortress. 

The  captain-general  threatened  to  send  a  body  of 


THE  GOVERNOR  AND  THE  SOLDIER    305 

soldiers  to  transfer  the  prisoner  from  the  Vermilion 
Tower  to  the  city.  The  grand  inquisitor  was  equally 
bent  upon  dispatching  a  number  of  the  familiars  of  the 
Holy  Office.  Word  was  brought  late  at  night  to  the 
governor  of  these  machinations.  "  Let  them  come," 
said  he,  "  they  '11  find  me  beforehand  with  them ;  he 
must  rise  bright  and  early  who  would  take  in  an  old 
soldier."  He  accordingly  issued  orders  to  have  the 
prisoner  removed  at  daybreak,  to  the  donjon-keep 
within  the  walls  of  the  Alhambra.  "  And  d'  ye  hear, 
child,"  said  he  to  his  demure  handmaid,  "  tap  at  my 
door,  and  wake  me  before  cock-crowing,  that  I  may 
see  to  the  matter  myself." 

The  day  dawned,  the  cock  crowed,  but  nobody 
tapped  at  the  door  of  the  governor.  The  sun  rose  high 
above  the  mountain-tops,  and  glittered  in  at  his  case 
ment,  ere  the  governor  was  awakened  from  his  morn 
ing  dreams  by  his  veteran  corporal,  who  stood  before 
him  with  terror  stamped  upon  his  iron  visage. 

"He's  off!  he's  gone!"  cried  the  corporal,  gasp 
ing  for  breath. 

"  Who  's  off  —  who  's  gone?  " 

"  The  soldier  —  the  robber  —  the  devil,  for  aught 
I  know ;  his  dungeon  is  empty,  but  the  door  locked : 
no  one  knows  how  he  has  escaped  out  of  it." 

"Who  saw  him  last?" 

"  Your  handmaid ;    she  brought  him  his  supper." 

"  Let  her  be  called  instantly." 

Here  was  new  matter  of  confusion.  The  chamber 
of  the  demure  damsel  was  likewise  empty,  her  bed  had 
not  been  slept  in :  she  had  doubtless  gone  off  with  the 
culprit,  as  she  had  appeared,  for  some  days  past,  to 
have  frequent  conversations  with  him. 

This  was  wounding  the  old  governor  in  a  tender 
part,  but  he  had  scarce  time  to  wince  at  it,  when  new 
misfortunes  broke  upon  his  view.  On  going  into  his 
cabinet  he  found  his  strong  box  open,  the  leather  purse 

20 


306  THE  ALHAMBRA 

of  the  trooper  abstracted  and  with  it  a  couple  of  cor 
pulent  bags  of  doubloons. 

But  how,  and  which  way  had  the  fugitives  escaped? 
An  old  peasant  who  lived  in  a  cottage  by  the  road-side 
leading  up  into  the  Sierra,  declared  that  he  had  heard 
the  tramp  of  a  powerful  steed  just  before  daybreak, 
passing  up  into  the  mountains.  He  had  looked  out  at 
his  casement,  and  could  just  distinguish  a  horseman, 
with  a  female  seated  before  him. 

"  Search  the  stables !  "  cried  Governor  Manco.  The 
stables  were  searched ;  all  the  horses  were  in  their  stalls, 
excepting  the  Arabian  steed.  In  his  place  was  a  stout 
cudgel,  tied  to  the  manger,  and  on  it  a  label  bearing 
these  words,  "  A  gift  to  Governor  Manco,  from  an 
Old  Soldier." 


A   FETE   IN  THE  ALHAMBRA 

THE  Saint's  day  of  my  neighbor  and  rival  potentate, 
the  count,  took  place  during  his  sojourn  in  the  Al- 
hambra,  on  which  occasion  he  gave  a  domestic  fete; 
assembling  round  him  the  members  of  his  family  and 
household,  while  the  stewards  and  old  servants  from 
his  distant  possessions  came  to  pay  him  reverence  and 
partake  of  the  good  cheer  which  was  sure  to  be  pro 
vided.  It  presented  a  type,  though  doubtless  a  faint 
one,  of  the  establishment  of  a  Spanish  noble  in  the 
olden  time. 

The  Spaniards  were  always  grandiose  in  their  no 
tions  of  style.  Huge  palaces;  lumbering  equipages, 
laden  with  footmen  and  lackeys ;  pompous  retinues, 
and  useless  dependents  of  all  kinds;  the  dignity  of  a 
noble  seemed  commensurate  with  the  legions  who 
loitered  about  his  halls,  fed  at  his  expense,  and  seemed 
ready  to  devour  him  alive.  This,  doubtless,  originated 


A  FETE  IN  THE  ALHAMBRA         307 

in  the  necessity  of  keeping  up  hosts  of  armed  retain 
ers  during  the  wars  with  the  Moors ;  wars  of  inroads 
and  surprises ;  when  a  noble  was  liable  to  be  suddenly 
assailed  in  his  castle  by  a  foray  of  the  enemy,  or  sum 
moned  to  the  field  by  his  sovereign. 

The  custom  remained  after  the  wars  were  at  an  end ; 
and  what  originated  in  necessity  was  kept  up  through 
ostentation.  The  wealth  which  flowed  into  the  coun 
try  from  conquests  and  discoveries  fostered  the  pas 
sion  for  princely  establishments.  According  to  magni 
ficent  old  Spanish  usage,  in  which  pride  and  generosity 
bore  equal  parts,  a  superannuated  servant  was  never 
turned  off,  but  became  a  charge  for  the  rest  of  his 
days ;  nay,  his  children,  and  his  children's  children,  and 
often  their  relatives  to  the  right  and  left,  became 
gradually  entailed  upon  the  family.  Hence  the  huge 
palaces  of  the  Spanish  nobility,  which  have  such  an  air 
of  empty  ostentation  from  the  greatness  of  their  size 
compared  with  the  mediocrity  and  scantiness  of  their 
furniture,  \vere  absolutely  required,  in  the  golden  days 
of  Spain,  by  the  patriarchal  habits  of  their  possessors. 
They  were  little  better  than  vast  barracks  for  their 
hereditary  generations  of  hangers-on  that  battened  at 
the  expense  of  a  Spanish  noble. 

These  patriarchal  habits  of  the  Spanish  nobility 
have  declined  with  their  revenues;  though  the  spirit 
which  prompted  them  remains,  and  wars  sadly  with 
their  altered  fortunes.  The  poorest  among  them  have 
always  some  hereditary  hangers-on,  who  live  at  their 
expense,  and  make  them  poorer.  Some  who,  like  my 
neighbor  the  count,  retain  a  modicum  of  their  once 
princely  possessions,  keep  up  a  shadow  of  the  ancient 
system,  and  their  estates  are  overrun  and  the  produce 
consumed  by  generations  of  idle  retainers. 

The  count  held  estates  in  various  parts  of  the  king 
dom,  some  including  whole  villages ;  yet  the  revenues 
collected  from  them  were  comparatively  small;  some 


308  THE  ALHAMBRA 

of  them,  he  assured  me,  barely  fed  the  hordes  of  de 
pendents  nestled  upon  them,  who  seemed  to  consider 
themselves  entitled  to  live  rent-free  and  be  maintained 
into  the  bargain,  because  their  forefathers  had  been 
so  since  time  immemorial. 

The  Saint's  day  of  the  old  count  gave  me  a  glimpse 
into  a  Spanish  interior.  For  two  or  three  days  pre 
vious  preparations  were  made  for  the  fete.  Viands  of 
all  kinds  were  brought  up  from  town,  greeting  the 
olfactory  nerves  of  the  old  invalid  guards,  as  they 
were  borne  past  them  through  the  Gate  of  Justice. 
Servants  hurried  officiously  about  the  courts;  the  an 
cient  kitchen  of  the  palace  was  again  alive  with  the 
tread  of  cooks  and  scullions,  and  blazed  with  un 
wonted  fires. 

When  the  day  arrived  I  beheld  the  old  count  in 
patriarchal  state,  his  family  and  household  around  him, 
with  functionaries  who  mismanaged  his  estates  at  a 
distance  and  consumed  the  proceeds;  while  numerous 
old  worn-out  servants  and  pensioners  were  loitering 
about  the  courts  and  keeping  within  smell  of  the 
kitchen. 

It  was  a  joyous  day  in  the  Alhambra.  The  guests 
dispersed  themselves  about  the  palace  before  the  hour 
of  dinner,  enjoying  the  luxuries  of  its  courts  and  foun 
tains,  and  embosomed  gardens,  and  music  and  laughter 
resounded  through  its  late  silent  halls. 

The  feast,  for  a  set  dinner  in  Spain  is  literally  a 
feast,  was  served  in  the  beautiful  Morisco  Hall  of 
"  Las  dos  Hermanas."  The  table  was  loaded  with  all 
the  luxuries  of  the  season :  there  was  an  almost  in 
terminable  succession  of  dishes;  showing  how  truly 
the  feast  at  the  rich  Camachos'  wedding  in  "  Don 
Quixote "  was  a  picture  of  a  Spanish  banquet.  A 
joyous  conviviality  prevailed  round  the  board;  for 
though  Spaniards  are  generally  abstemious,  they  are 
complete  revellers  on  occasions  like  the  present,  and 


A  FETE  IN  THE  ALHAMBRA         309 

none  more  so  than  the  Andalusians.  For  my  part, 
there  was  something  peculiarly  exciting  in  thus  sitting 
at  a  feast  in  the  royal  halls  of  the  Alhambra,  given  by 
one  who  might  claim  remote  affinity  with  its  Moorish 
kings,  and  who  was  a  lineal  representative  of  Gonsalvo 
of  Cordova,  one  of  the  most  distinguished  of  the 
Christian  conquerors. 

The  banquet  ended,  the  company  adjourned  to  the 
Hall  of  Ambassadors.  Here  every  one  endeavored  to 
contribute  to  the  general  amusement,  singing,  impro 
vising,  telling  wonderful  tales,  or  dancing  popular 
dances  to  that  all-pervading  talisman  of  Spanish  pleas 
ure,  the  guitar. 

The  count's  gifted  little  daughter  was  as  usual  the 
life  and  delight  of  the  assemblage,  and  I  was  more  than 
ever  struck  with  her  aptness  and  wonderful  versa 
tility.  She  took  a  part  in  two  or  three  scenes  of  elegant 
comedy  with  some  of  her  companions,  and  performed 
them  with  exquisite  point  and  finished  grace;  she 
gave  imitations  of  the  popular  Italian  singers,  some 
serious,  some  comic,  with  a  rare  quality  of  voice,  and, 
I  was  assured,  with  singular  fidelity ;  she  imitated  the 
dialects,  dances,  ballads,  and  movements  and  manners 
of  the  gypsies  and  the  peasants  of  the  Vega  with  equal 
felicity;  but  everything  was  done  with  an  all-pervad 
ing  grace  and  a  ladylike  tact  perfectly  fascinating. 

The  great  charm  of  everything  she  did  was  its  free 
dom  from  pretension  or  ambitious  display,  its  happy 
spontaneity.  Everything  sprang  from  the  impulse  of 
the  moment ;  or  was  in  prompt  compliance  with  a  re 
quest.  She  seemed  unconscious  of  the  rarity  and  ex 
tent  of  her  own  talent,  and  was  like  a  child  at  home 
revelling  in  the  buoyancy  of  its  own  gay  and  innocent 
spirits.  Indeed,  I  was  told  she  had  never  exerted  her 
talents  in  general  society,  but  only,  as  at  present,  in  the 
domestic  circle. 

Her  faculty  of  observation  and  her  perception  of 


310  THE  ALHAMBRA 

character  must  have  been  remarkably  quick,  for  she 
could  have  had  only  casual  and  transient  glances  at 
the  scenes,  manners,  and  customs  depicted  with  such 
truth  and  spirit.  "  Indeed  it  is  a  continual  wonder  to 
us,"  said  the  countess,  "  where  the  child  [la  Nina]  has 
picked  up  these  things,  her  life  being  passed  almost  en 
tirely  at  home,  in  the  bosom  of  the  family." 

Evening  approached ;  twilight  began  to  throw  its 
shadows  about  the  halls,  and  the  bats  to  steal  forth 
from  their  lurking-place  and  flit  about.  A  notion 
seized  the  little  damsel  and  some  of  her  youthful  com 
panions,  to  set  out,  under  the  guidance  of  Dolores, 
and  explore  the  less  frequented  parts  of  the  palace  in 
quest  of  mysteries  and  enchantments.  Thus  con 
ducted,  they  peeped  fearfully  into  the  gloomy  old 
mosque,  but  quick  drew  back  on  being  told  that  a 
Moorish  king  had  been  murdered  there ;  they  ventured 
into  the  mysterious  regions  of  the  bath,  frightening 
themselves  with  the  sounds  and  murmurs  of  hidden 
aqueducts,  and  flying  with  mock  panic  at  the  alarm  of 
phantom  Moors.  They  then  undertook  the  adventure 
of  the  Iron  Gate,  a  place  of  baleful  note  in  the  Alham- 
bra.  It  is  a  postern  gate,  opening  into  a  dark  ravine; 
a  narrow  covered  way  leads  down  to  it,  which  used  to 
be  the  terror  of  Dolores  and  her  playmates  in  child 
hood,  as  it  was  said  a  hand  without  a  body  would 
sometimes  be  stretched  out  from  the  wall  and  seize 
hold  of  the  passers-by. 

The  little  party  of  enchantment-hunters  ventured  to 
the  entrance  of  the  covered  way,  but  nothing  would 
tempt  them  to  enter,  in  this  hour  of  gathering  gloom ; 
they  dreaded  the  grasp  of  the  phantom  arm. 

At  length  they  came  running  back  into  the  Hall  of 
Ambassadors  in  a  mock  paroxysm  of  terror :  they  had 
positively  seen  two  spectral  figures  all  in  white.  They 
had  not  stopped  to  examine  them;  but  could  not  be 
mistaken,  for  they  glared  distinctly  through  the  sur- 


THE  TWO  DISCREET  STATUES       311 

rounding  gloom.  Dolores  soon  arrived  and  explained 
the  mystery.  The  spectres  proved  to  be  two  statues 
of  nymphs  in  white  marble,  placed  at  the  entrance  of  a 
vaulted  passage.  Upon  this  a  grave,  but,  as  I  thought, 
somewhat  sly  old  gentleman  present,  who,  I  believe, 
was  the  count's  advocate  or  legal  adviser,  assured  them 
that  these  statues  were  connected  with  one  of  the  great 
est  mysteries  of  the  Alhambra ;  that  there  was  a  curi 
ous  history  concerning  them,  and,  moreover,  that  they 
stood  a  living  monument  in  marble  of  female  secrecy 
and  discretion.  All  present  entreated  him  to  tell  the 
history  of  the  statues.  He  took  a  little  time  to  recol 
lect  the  details,  and  then  gave  them  in  substance  the 
following  legend: 


LEGEND  OF  THE  TWO  DISCREET 
STATUES 

THERE  lived  once  in  a  waste  apartment  of  the  Alham 
bra  a  merry  little  fellow,  named  Lope  Sanchez,  who 
worked  in  the  gardens,  and  was  as  brisk  and  blithe  as 
a  grasshopper,  singing  all  day  long.  He  was  the  life 
and  soul  of  the  fortress ;  when  his  work  was  over,  he 
would  sit  on  one  of  the  stone  benches  of  the  esplanade, 
strum  his  guitar,  and  sing  long  ditties  about  the  Cid, 
and  Bernardo  del  Carpio,  and  Fernando  del  Pulgar, 
and  other  Spanish  heroes,  for  the  amusement  of  the 
old  soldiers  of  the  fortress ;  or  would  strike  up  a 
merrier  tune,  and  set  the  girls  dancing  boleros  and 
fandangos. 

Like  most  little  men,  Lope  Sanchez  had  a  strapping 
buxom  dame  for  a  wife,  who  could  almost  have  put 
him  in  her  pocket ;  but  he  lacked  the  usual  poor  man's 
lot  —  instead  of  ten  children  he  had  but  one.  This 


312  THE  ALHAMBRA 

was  a  little  black-eyed  girl  about  twelve  years  of  age, 
named  Sanchica,  who  was  as  merry  as  himself,  and  the 
delight  of  his  heart.  She  played  about  him  as  he 
worked  in  the  gardens,  danced  to  his  guitar  as  he 
sat  in  the  shade,  and  ran  as  wild  as  a  young  fawn 
about  the  groves  and  alleys  and  ruined  halls  of  the 
Alhambra. 

It  was  now  the  eve  of  the  blessed  St.  John,  and  the 
holiday-loving  gossips  of  the  Alhambra,  men,  women, 
and  children,  went  up  at  night  to  the  Mountain  of  the 
Sun,  which  rises  above  the  Generalife,  to  keep  their 
midsummer  vigil  on  its  level  summit.  It  was  a  bright 
moonlight  night,  and  all  the  mountains  were  gray  and 
silvery,  and  the  city,  with  its  domes  and  spires,  lay  in 
shadows  below,  and  the  Vega  was  like  a  fairy  land, 
with  haunted  streams  gleaming  among  its  dusky 
groves.  On  the  highest  part  of  the  mountain  they  lit 
up  a  bonfire,  according  to  an  old  custom  of  the  country 
handed  down  from  the  Moors.  The  inhabitants  of  the 
surrounding  country  were  keeping  a  similar  vigil,  and 
bonfires,  here  and  there  in  the  Vega,  and  along  the 
folds  of  the  mountains,  blazed  up  palely  in  the 
moonlight. 

The  evening  was  gayly  passed  in  dancing  to  the 
guitar  of  Lope  Sanchez,  who  was  never  so  joyous  as 
when  on  a  holiday  revel  of  the  kind.  While  the  dance 
was  going  on,  the  little  Sanchica  with  some  of  her  play 
mates  sported  among  the  ruins  of  an  old  Moorish  fort 
that  crowns  the  mountain,  when,  in  gathering  pebbles 
in  the  fosse,  she  found  a  small  hand  curiously  carved 
of  jet,  the  fingers  closed,  and  the  thumb  firmly  clasped 
upon  them.  Overjoyed  with  her  good  fortune,  she 
ran  to  her  mother  with  her  prize.  It  immediately  be 
came  a  subject  of  sage  speculation,  and  was  eyed  by 
some  with  superstitious  distrust.  "  Throw  it  away," 
said  one ;  "  it 's  Moorish,  —  depend  upon  it,  there  's 
mischief  and  witchcraft  in  it."  "  By  no  means,"  said 


THE  TWO  DISCREET  STATUES       313 

another;  "you  may  sell  it  for  something  to  the  jewel 
lers  of  the  Zacatin."  In  the  midst  of  this  discussion 
an  old  tawny  soldier  drew  near,  who  had  served  in 
Africa,  and  was  as  swarthy  as  a  Moor.  He  examined 
the  hand  with  a  knowing  look.  "  I  have  seen  things 
of  this  kind,"  said  he,  "  among  the  Moors  of  Barbary. 
It  is  a  great  virtue  to  guard  against  the  evil  eye,  and 
all  kinds  of  spells  and  enchantments.  I  give  you  joy, 
friend  Lope,  this  bodes  good  luck  to  your  child." 

Upon  hearing  this,  the  wife  of  Lope  Sanchez  tied 
the  little  hand  of  jet  to  a  ribbon,  and  hung  it  round 
the  neck  of  her  daughter. 

The  sight  of  this  talisman  called  up  all  the  favorite 
superstitions  about  the  Moors.  The  dance  was  neg 
lected,  and  they  sat  in  groups  on  the  ground,  telling 
old  legendary  tales  handed  down  from  their  ancestors. 
Some  of  their  stories  turned  upon  the  wonders  of  the 
very  mountain  upon  which  they  were  seated,  which 
is  a  famous  hobgoblin  region.  One  ancient  crone  gave 
a  long  account  of  the  subterranean  palace  in  the  bowels 
of  that  mountain  where  Boabclil  and  all  his  Moslem 
court  are  said  to  remain  enchanted.  "  Among  yonder 
ruins,"  said  she,  pointing  to  some  crumbling  walls  and 
mounds  of  earth  on  a  distant  part  of  the  mountain, 
"  there  is  a  deep  black  pit  that  goes  down,  down  into 
the  very  heart  of  the  mountain.  For  all  the  money 
in  Granada  I  would  not  look  down  into  it.  Once  upon 
a  time  a  poor  man  of  the  Alhambra,  who  tended  goats 
upon  this  mountain,  scrambled  down  into  that  pit  af 
ter  a  kid  that  had  fallen  in.  He  came  out  again  all 
wild  and  staring,  and  told  such  things  of  what  he  had 
seen,  that  every  one  thought  his  brain  was  turned.  He 
raved  for  a  day  or  two  about  the  hobgoblin  Moors  that 
had  pursued  him  in  the  cavern,  and  could  hardly  be  per 
suaded  to  drive  his  goats  up  again  to  the  mountain. 
He  did  so  at  last,  but,  poor  man,  he  never  came  down 
again.  The  neighbors  found  his  goats  browsing  about 


314  THE  ALHAMBRA 

the  Moorish  ruins,  and  his  hat  and  mantle  lying  near 
the  mouth  of  the  pit,  but  he  was  never  more  heard  of." 

The  little  Sanchica  listened  with  breathless  atten 
tion  to  this  story.  She  was  of  a  curious  nature,  and 
felt  immediately  a  great  hankering  to  peep  into  this 
dangerous  pit.  Stealing  away  from  her  companions, 
she  sought  the  distant  ruins,  and,  after  groping  for 
some  time  among  them,  came  to  a  small  hollow,  or 
basin,  near  the  brow  of  the  mountain,  where  it  swept 
steeply  down  into  the  valley  of  the  Darro.  In  the 
centre  of  this  basin  yawned  the  mouth  of  the  pit. 
Sanchica  ventured  to  the  verge,  and  peeped  in.  All 
was  as  black  as  pitch,  and  gave  an  idea  of  immeasur 
able  depth.  Her  blood  ran  cold ;  she  drew  back,  then 
peeped  in  again,  then  would  have  run  away,  then  took 
another  peep,  —  the  very  horror  of  the  thing  was  de 
lightful  to  her.  At  length  she  rolled  a  large  stone, 
and  pushed  it  over  the  brink.  For  some  time  it  fell 
in  silence;  then  struck  some  rocky  projection  with  a 
violent  crash ;  then  rebounded  from  side  to  side,  rum 
bling  and  tumbling,  with  a  noise  like  thunder;  then 
made  a  final  splash  into  water,  far,  far  below,  —  and 
all  was  again  silent. 

The  silence,  however,  did  not  long  continue.  It 
seemed  as  if  something  had  been  awakened  within  this 
dreary  abyss.  A  murmuring  sound  gradually  rose  out 
of  the  pit  like  the  hum  and  buzz  of  a  beehive.  It  grew 
louder  and  louder;  there  was  the  confusion  of  voices 
as  of  a  distant  multitude,  together  with  the  faint  din 
of  arms,  clash  of  cymbals  and  clangor  of  trumpets, 
as  if  some  army  were  marshalling  for  battle  in  the 
very  bowels  of  the  mountain. 

The  child  drew  off  with  silent  awe,  and  hastened 
back  to  the  place  where  she  had  left  her  parents  and 
their  companions.  All  were  gone.  The  bonfire  was 
expiring,  and  its  last  wreath  of  smoke  curling  up  in 
the  moonshine.  The  distant  fires  that  had  blazed  along 


THE  TWO  DISCREET  STATUES       315 

the  mountains  and  in  the  Vega  were  all  extinguished, 
and  everything  seemed  to  have  sunk  to  repose.  San- 
chica  called  her  parents  and  some  of  her  companions 
by  name,  but  received  no  reply.  She  ran  down  the  side 
of  the  mountain,  and  by  the  gardens  of  the  Generalife, 
until  she  arrived  in  the  alley  of  trees  leading  to  the 
Alhambra,  when  she  seated  herself  on  a  bench  of  a 
woody  recess,  to  recover  breath.  The  bell  from  the 
watch-tower  of  the  Alhambra  tolled  midnight.  There 
was  a  deep  tranquillity  as  if  all  nature  slept;  except 
ing  the  low  tinkling  sound  of  an  unseen  stream  that 
ran  under  the  covert  of  the  bushes.  The  breathing 
sweetness  of  the  atmosphere  was  lulling  her  to  sleep, 
when  her  eye  was  caught  by  something  glittering  at  a 
distance,  and  to  her  surprise  she  beheld  a  long  caval 
cade  of  Moorish  warriors  pouring  down  the  mountain 
side  and  along  the  leafy  avenues.  Some  were  armed 
with  lances  and  shields ;  others,  with  cimeters  and 
battle-axes,  and  with  polished  cuirasses  that  flashed 
in  the  moonbeams.  Their  horses  pranced  proudly  and 
champed  upon  their  bits,  but  their  tramp  caused  no 
more  sound  than  if  they  had  been  shod  with  felt,  and 
the  riders  were  all  as  pale  as  death.  Among  them  rode 
a  beautiful  lady,  with  a  crowned  head  and  long  golden 
locks  entwined  with  pearls.  The  housings  of  her 
palfrey  were  of  crimson  velvet  embroidered  with  gold, 
and  swept  the  earth ;  but  she  rode  all  disconsolate, 
with  eyes  ever  fixed  upon  the  ground. 

Then  succeeded  a  train  of  courtiers  magnificently 
arrayed  in  robes  and  turbans  of  divers  colors,  and 
amidst  them,  on  a  cream-colored  charger,  rode  King 
Boabdil  el  Chico,  in  a  royal  mantle  covered  with 
jewels,  and  a  crown  sparkling  with  diamonds.  The 
little  Sanchica  knew  him  by  his  yellow  beard,  and  his 
resemblance  to  his  portrait,  which  she  had  often  seen 
in  the  picture-gallery  of  the  Generalife.  She  gazed  in 
wonder  and  admiration  at  this  royal  pageant,  as  it 


316  THE  ALHAMBRA 

passed  glistening  among  the  trees;  but  though  she 
knew  these  monarchs  and  courtiers  and  warriors,  so 
pale  and  silent,  were  out  of  the  common  course  of 
nature,  and  things  of  magic  and  enchantment,  yet  she 
looked  on  with  a  bold  heart,  such  courage  did  she  de 
rive  from  the  mystic  talisman  of  the  hand,  which  was 
suspended  about  her  neck. 

The  cavalcade  having  passed  by,  she  rose  and  fol 
lowed.  It  continued  on  to  the  great  Gate  of  Justice, 
which  stood  wide  open ;  the  old  invalid  sentinels  on 
duty  lay  on  the  stone  benches  of  the  barbican,  buried 
in  profound  and  apparently  charmed  sleep,  and  the 
phantom  pageant  swept  noiselessly  by  them  with 
flaunting  banner  and  triumphant  state.  Sanchica 
would  have  followed;  but  to  her  surprise  she  beheld 
an  opening  in  the  earth,  within  the  barbican,  leading 
down  beneath  the  foundations  of  the  tower.  She  en 
tered  for  a  little  distance,  and  was  encouraged  to  pro 
ceed  by  finding  steps  rudely  hewn  in  the  rock,  and  a 
vaulted  passage  here  and  there  lit  up  by  a  silver  lamp, 
which,  while  it  gave  light,  diffused  likewise  a  grateful 
fragrance.  Venturing  on,  she  came  at  last  to  a  great 
hall,  wrought  out  of  the  heart  of  the  mountain,  mag 
nificently  furnished  in  the  Moorish  style,  and  lighted  up 
by  silver  and  crystal  lamps.  Here,  on  an  ottoman,  sat 
an  old  man  in  Moorish  dress,  with  a  long  white  beard, 
nodding  and  dozing,  with  a  staff  in  his  hand,  which 
seemed  ever  to  be  slipping  from  his  grasp;  while  at  a 
little  distance  sat  a  beautiful  lady,  in  ancient  Spanish 
dress,  with  a  coronet  all  sparkling  with  diamonds,  and 
her  hair  entwined  with  pearls,  who  was  softly  playing 
on  a  silver  lyre.  The  little  Sanchica  now  recollected 
a  story  she  had  heard  among  the  old  people  of  the  Al- 
hambra,  concerning  a  Gothic  princess  confined  in  the 
centre  of  the  mountain  by  an  old  Arabian  magician, 
whom  she  kept  bound  up  in  magic  sleep  by  the  power 
of  music. 


THE  TWO  DISCREET  STATUES       317 

The  lady  paused  with  surprise  at  seeing  a  mortal  in 
that  enchanted  hall.  "  Is  it  the  eve  of  the  blessed  St. 
John  ?  "  said  she. 

"  It  is,"  replied  Sanchica. 

"  Then  for  one  night  the  magic  charm  is  suspended. 
Come  hither,  child,  and  fear  not.  I  am  a  Christian 
like  thyself,  though  bound  here  by  enchantment. 
Touch  my  fetters  with  the  talisman  that  hangs  about 
thy  neck,  and  for  this  night  I  shall  be  free." 

So  saying,  she  opened  her  robes  and  displayed  a 
broad  golden  band  round  her  waist,  and  a  golden  chain 
that  fastened  her  to  the  ground.  The  child  hesitated 
not  to  apply  the  little  hand  of  jet  to  the  golden  band, 
and  immediately  the  chain  fell  to  the  earth.  At  the 
sound  the  old  man  woke  and  began  to  rub  his  eyes; 
but  the  lady  ran  her  fingers  over  the  chords  of  the  lyre, 
and  again  he  fell  into  a  slumber  and  began  to  nod,  and 
his  staff  to  falter  in  his  hand.  "  Now,"  said  the  lady, 
"  touch  his  staff  with  the  talismanic  hand  of  jet."  The 
child  did  so,  and  it  fell  from  his  grasp,  and  he  sank 
in  a  deep  sleep  on  the  ottoman.  The  lady  gently  laid 
the  silver  lyre  on  the  ottoman,  leaning  it  against  the 
head  of  the  sleeping  magician ;  then  touching  the 
chords  until  they  vibrated  in  his  ear,  — "  O  potent 
spirit  of  harmony,"  said  she,  "  continue  thus  to  hold 
his  senses  in  thraldom  till  the  return  of  day.  Now 
follow  me,  my  child,"  continued  she,  "  and  thou  shalt 
behold  the  Alhambra  as  it  was  in  the  days  of  its  glory, 
for  thou  hast  a  magic  talisman  that  reveals  all  enchant 
ments."  Sanchica  followed  the  lady  in  silence.  They 
passed  up  through  the  entrance  of  the  cavern  into  the 
barbican  of  the  Gate  of  Justice,  and  thence  to  the 
Plaza  de  los  Algibes,  or  esplanade  within  the  fortress. 

This  was  all  filled  with  Moorish  soldiery,  horse  and 
foot,  marshalled  in  squadrons,  with  banners  displayed. 
There  were  royal  guards  also  at  the  portal,  and  rows 
of  African  blacks  with  drawn  cimeters.  No  one  spoke 


3i8  THE  ALHAMBRA 

a  word,  and  Sanchica  passed  on  fearlessly  after  her 
conductor.  Her  astonishment  increased  on  entering 
the  royal  palace,  in  which  she  had  been  reared.  The 
broad  moonshine  lit  up  all  the  halls  and  courts  and 
gardens  almost  as  brightly  as  if  it  were  day,  but  re 
vealed  a  far  different  scene  from  that  to  which  she  was 
accustomed.  The  walls  of  the  apartments  were  no 
longer  stained  and  rent  by  time.  Instead  of  cobwebs, 
they  were  now  hung  with  rich  silks  of  Damascus,  and 
the  gildings  and  arabesque  paintings  were  restored  to 
their  original  brilliancy  and  freshness.  The  halls,  no 
longer  naked  and  unfurnished,  were  set  out  with 
divans  and  ottomans  of  the  rarest  stuffs,  embroidered 
with  pearls  and  studded  with  precious  gems,  and  all 
the  fountains  in  the  courts  and  gardens  were  playing. 
The  kitchens  were  again  in  full  operation;  cooks 
were  busy  preparing  shadowy  dishes,  and  roasting  and 
boiling  the  phantoms  of  pullets  and  partridges;  ser 
vants  were  hurrying  to  and  fro  with  silver  dishes 
heaped  up  with  dainties,  and  arranging  a  delicious  ban 
quet.  The  Court  of  Lions  was  thronged  with  guards, 
and  courtiers,  and  alfaquis,  as  in  the  old  times  of  the 
Moors;  and  at  the  upper  end,  in  the  saloon  of  judg 
ment,  sat  Boabdil  on  his  throne,  surrounded  by  his 
court,  and  swaying  a  shadowy  sceptre  for  the  night. 
Notwithstanding  all  this  throng  and  seeming  bustle, 
not  a  voice  nor  a  footstep  was  to  be  heard ;  nothing  in 
terrupted  the  midnight  silence  but  the  splashing  of  the 
fountains.  The  little  Sanchica  followed  her  conduct 
ress  in  mute  amazement  about  the  palace,  until  they 
came  to  a  portal  opening  to  the  vaulted  passages  be 
neath  the  great  Tower  of  Comares.  On  each  side  of 
the  portal  sat  the  figure  of  a  nymph,  wrought  out  of 
alabaster.  Their  heads  were  turned  aside,  and  their 
regards  fixed  upon  the  same  spot  within  the  vault.  The 
enchanted  lady  paused,  and  beckoned  the  child  to  her. 
"  Here,"  said  she,  "  is  a  great  secret,  which  I  will  re- 


THE  TWO  DISCREET  STATUES       319 

veal  to  thee  in  reward  for  thy  faith  and  courage. 
These  discreet  statues  watch  over  a  treasure  hidden  in 
old  times  by  a  Moorish  king-.  Tell  thy  father  to  search 
the  spot  on  which  their  eyes  are  fixed,  and  he  will  find 
what  will  make  him  richer  than  any  man  in  Granada. 
Thy  innocent  hands  alone,  however,  gifted  as  thou 
art  also  with  the  talisman,  can  remove  the  treasure. 
Bid  thy  father  use  it  discreetly,  and  devote  a  part  of  it 
to  the  performance  of  daily  masses  for  my  deliver 
ance  from  this  unholy  enchantment." 

When  the  lady  had  spoken  these  words,  she  led  the 
child  onward  to  the  little  garden  of  Lindaraxa,  which 
is  hard  by  the  vault  of  the  statues.  The  moon  trembled 
upon  the  waters  of  the  solitary  fountain  in  the  centre 
of  the  garden,  and  shed  a  tender  light  upon  the  orange 
and  citron  trees.  The  beautiful  lady  plucked  a  branch 
of  myrtle  and  wreathed  it  round  the  head  of  the  child. 
"  Let  this  be  a  memento,"  said  she,  "  of  what  I  have 
revealed  to  thee,  and  a  testimonial  of  its  truth.  My 
hour  is  come;  I  must  return  to  the  enchanted  hall; 
follow  me  not,  lest  evil  befall  thee ;  —  farewell.  Re 
member  what  I  have  said,  and  have  masses  performed 
for  my  deliverance."  So  saying,  the  lady  entered  a 
dark  passage  leading  beneath  the  Tower  of  Comares, 
and  was  no  longer  seen. 

The  faint  crowing  of  a  cock  was  now  heard  from 
the  cottages  below  the  Alhambra,  in  the  valley  of  the 
Darro,  and  a  pale  streak  of  light  began  to  appear  above 
the  eastern  mountains.  A  slight  wind  arose,  there  was 
a  sound  like  the  rustling  of  dry  leaves  through  the 
courts  and  corridors,  and  door  after  door  shut  to  with 
a  jarring  sound. 

Sanchica  returned  to  the  scenes  she  had  so  lately 
beheld  thronged  with  the  shadowy  multitude,  but 
Boabdil  and  his  phantom  court  were  gone.  The  moon 
shone  into  empty  halls  and  galleries  stripped  of  their 
transient  splendor,  stained  and  dilapidated  by  time,  and 


320  THE  ALHAMBRA 

hung  with  cobwebs.  The  bat  flitted  about  in  the 
uncertain  light,  and  the  frog  croaked  from  the  fish 
pond. 

Sanchica  now  made  the  best  of  her  way  to  a  remote 
staircase  that  led  up  to  the  humble  apartment  occu 
pied  by  her  family.  The  door  as  usual  was  open,  for 
Lope  Sanchez  was  too  poor  to  need  bolt  or  bar;  she 
crept  quietly  to  her  pallet,  and,  putting  the  myrtle 
wreath  beneath  her  pillow,  soon  fell  asleep. 

In  the  morning  she  related  all  that  had  befallen  her 
to  her  father.  Lope  Sanchez,  however,  treated  the 
whole  as  a  mere  dream,  and  laughed  at  the  child  for  her 
credulity.  He  went  forth  to  his  customary  labors  in 
the  garden,  but  had  not  been  there  long  when  his  little 
daughter  came  running  to  him  almost  breathless. 
"Father!  father!"  cried  she,  "behold  the  myrtle 
wreath  which  the  Moorish  lady  bound  round  my  head." 

Lope  Sanchez  gazed  with  astonishment,  for  the  stalk 
of  the  myrtle  was  of  pure  gold,  and  every  leaf  was  a 
sparkling  emerald!  Being  not  much  accustomed  to 
precious  stones,  he  was  ignorant  of  the  real  value  of 
the  wreath,  but  he  saw  enough  to  convince  him  that 
it  was  something  more  substantial  than  the  stuff  of 
which  dreams  are  generally  made,  and  that  at  any  rate 
the  child  had  dreamt  to  some  purpose.  His  first  care 
was  to  enjoin  the  most  absolute  secrecy  upon  his  daugh 
ter;  in  this  respect,  however,  he  was  secure,  for  she 
had  discretion  far  beyond  her  years  or  sex.  He  then 
repaired  to  the  vault,  where  stood  the  statues  of  the 
two  alabaster  nymphs.  He  remarked  that  their  heads 
were  turned  from  the  portal,  and  that  the  regards  of 
each  were  fixed  upon  the  same  point  in  the  interior  of 
the  building.  Lope  Sanchez  could  not  but  admire  this 
most  discreet  contrivance  for  guarding  a  secret.  He 
drew  a  line  from  the  eyes  of  the  statues  to  the  point 
of  regard,  made  a  private  mark  on  the  wall,  and  then 
retired. 


321 

All  day,  however,  the  mind  of  Lope  Sanchez  was 
distracted  with  a  thousand  cares.  He  could  not  help 
hovering  within  distant  view  of  the  two  statues,  and 
became  nervous  from  the  dread  that  the  golden  secret 
might  be  discovered.  Every  footstep  that  approached 
the  place  made  him  tremble.  He  would  have  given 
anything  could  he  but  have  turned  the  heads  of  the 
statues,  forgetting  that  they  had  looked  precisely  in 
the  same  direction  for  some  hundreds  of  years,  with 
out  any  person  being  the  wiser. 

"  A  plague  upon  them,"  he  would  say  to  himself, 
"  they  '11  betray  all ;  did  ever  mortal  hear  of  such  a 
mode  of  guarding  a  secret?"  Then  on  hearing  any 
one  advance,  he  would  steal  off,  as  though  his  very 
lurking  near  the  place  would  awaken  suspicion.  Then 
he  would  return  cautiously,  and  peep  from  a  distance 
to  see  if  everything  was  secure,  but  the  sight  of  the 
statues  would  again  call  forth  his  indignation.  "  Ay, 
there  they  stand,"  would  he  say,  "  always  looking,  and 
looking,  and  looking,  just  where  they  should  not. 
Confound  them!  they  are  just  like  all  their  sex;  if 
they  have  not  tongues  to  tattle  with  they  '11  be  sure  to 
do  it  with  their  eyes." 

At  length,  to  his  relief,  the  long  anxious  day  drew 
to  a  close.  The  sound  of  footsteps  was  no  longer 
heard  in  the  echoing  halls  of  the  Alhambra;  the  last 
stranger  passed  the  threshold,  the  great  portal  was 
barred  and  bolted,  and  the  bat  and  the  frog  and  the 
hooting  owl  gradually  resumed  their  nightly  vocations 
in  the  deserted  palace. 

Lope  Sanchez  waited,  however,  until  the  night  was 
far  advanced  before  he  ventured  with  his  little  daugh 
ter  to  the  hall  of  the  two  nymphs.  He  found  them 
looking  as  knowingly  and  mysteriously  as  ever  at  the 
secret  place  of  deposit.  "  By  your  leaves,  gentle 
ladies,"  thought  Lope  Sanchez,  as  he  passed  between 
them,  "  I  will  relieve  you  from  this  charge  that  must 


322  THE  ALHAMBRA 

have  set  so  heavy  in  your  minds  for  the  last  two  or 
three  centuries."  He  accordingly  went  to  work  at  the 
part  of  the  wall  which  he  had  marked,  and  in  a  little 
while  laid  open  a  concealed  recess,  in  which  stood  two 
great  jars  of  porcelain.  He  attempted  to  draw  them 
forth,  but  they  were  immovable,  until  touched  by  the 
innocent  hand  of  his  little  daughter.  With  her  aid 
he  dislodged  them  from  their  niche,  and  found,  to  his 
great  joy,  that  they  were  filled  with  pieces  of  Moorish 
gold,  mingled  with  jewels  and  precious  stones.  Be 
fore  daylight  he  managed  to  convey  them  to  his  cham 
ber,  and  left  the  two  guardian  statues  with  their  eyes 
still  fixed  on  the  vacant  wall. 

Lope  Sanchez  had  thus  on  a  sudden  become  a  rich 
man ;  but  riches,  as  usual,  brought  a  world  of  cares  to 
which  he  had  hitherto  been  a  stranger.  How  was  he 
to  convey  away  his  wealth  with  safety?  How  was  he 
even  to  enter  upon  the  enjoyment  of  it  without  awak 
ening  suspicion?  Now,  too,  for  the  first  time  in  his  life 
the  dread  of  robbers  entered  into  his  mind.  He  looked 
with  terror  at  the  insecurity  of  his  habitation,  and 
went  to  work  to  barricade  the  doors  and  windows; 
yet  after  all  his  precautions  he  could  not  sleep  soundly. 
His  usual  gayety  was  at  an  end,  he  had  no  longer  a 
joke  or  a  song  for  his  neighbors,  and,  in  short,  became 
the  most  miserable  animal  in  the  Alhambra.  His  old 
comrades  remarked  this  alteration,  pitied  him  heartily, 
and  began  to  desert  him ;  thinking  he  must  be  falling 
into  want,  and  in  danger  of  looking  to  them  for  as 
sistance.  Little  did  they  suspect  that  his  only  calamity 
was  riches. 

The  wife  of  Lope  Sanchez  shared  his  anxiety,  but 
then  she  had  ghostly  comfort.  We  ought  before  this 
to  have  mentioned  that,  Lope  being  rather  a  light  in 
considerate  little  man,  his  wife  was  accustomed,  in  all 
grave  matters,  to  seek  the  counsel  and  ministry  of  her 
confessor  Fray  Simon,  a  sturdy,  broad-shouldered, 


THE  TWO  DISCREET  STATUES       323 

blue-bearded,  bullet-headed  friar  of  the  neighboring 
convent  of  San  Francisco,  who  was  in  fact  the  spirit 
ual  comforter  of  half  the  good  wives  of  the  neighbor 
hood.  He  was  moreover  in  great  esteem  among  divers 
sisterhoods  of  nuns;  who  requited  him  for  his  ghostly 
services  by  frequent  presents  of  those  little  dainties  and 
knick-knacks  manufactured  in  convents,  such  as  deli 
cate  confections,  sweet  biscuits,  and  bottles  of  spiced 
cordials,  found  to  be  marvellous  restoratives  after  fasts 
and  vigils. 

Fray  Simon  thrived  in  the  exercise  of  his  functions. 
His  oily  skin  glistened  in  the  sunshine  as  he  toiled  up 
the  hill  of  the  Alhambra  on  a  sultry  day.  Yet  not 
withstanding  his  sleek  condition,  the  knotted  rope 
round  his  waist  showed  the  austerity  of  his  self- 
discipline;  the  multitude  doffed  their  caps  to  him  as 
a  mirror  of  piety,  and  even  the  dogs  scented  the  odor 
of  sanctity  that  exhaled  from  his  garments,  and 
howled  from  their  kennels  as  he  passed. 

Such  was  Fray  Simon,  the  spiritual  counsellor  of 
the  comely  wife  of  Lope  Sanchez;  and  as  the  father 
confessor  is  the  domestic  confidant  of  women  in 
humble  life  in  Spain,  he  was  soon  acquainted,  in  great 
secrecy,  with  the  story  of  the  hidden  treasure. 

The  friar  opened  his  eyes  and  mouth,  and  crossed 
himself  a  dozen  times  at  the  news.  After  a  moment's 
pause,  "  Daughter  of  my  soul !  "  said  he,  "  know  that 
thy  husband  has  committed  a  double  sin  —  a  sin 
against  both  state  and  church!  The  treasure  he  hath 
thus  seized  upon  for  himself,  being  found  in  the  royal 
domains,  belongs  of  course  to  the  crown ;  but  being 
infidel  wealth,  rescued  as  it  were  from  the  very  fangs 
of  Satan,  should  be  devoted  to  the  church.  Still,  how 
ever,  the  matter  may  be  accommodated.  Bring  hither 
thy  myrtle  wreath." 

When  the  good  father  beheld  it,  his  eyes  twinkled 
more  than  ever  with  admiration  of  the  size  and  beauty 


324  THE  ALHAMBRA 

of  the  emeralds.  "  This,"  said  he,  "  being  the  first- 
fruits  of  this  discovery,  should  be  dedicated  to  pious 
purposes.  I  will  hang  it  up  as  a  votive  offering  before 
the  image  of  San  Francisco  in  our  chapel,  and  will 
earnestly  pray  to  him,  this  very  night,  that  your  hus 
band  be  permitted  to  remain  in  quiet  possession  of 
your  wealth." 

The  good  dame  was  delighted  to  make  her  peace 
with  heaven  at  so  cheap  a  rate,  and  the  friar,  putting 
the  wreath  under  his  mantle,  departed  with  saintly 
steps  toward  his  convent. 

When  Lope  Sanchez  came  home,  his  wife  told  him 
what  had  passed.  He  was  excessively  provoked,  for 
he  lacked  his  wife's  devotion,  and  had  for  some  time 
groaned  in  secret  at  the  domestic  visitations  of  the 
friar.  "Woman,"  said  he,  "what  hast  thou  done? 
thou  hast  put  everything  at  hazard  by  thy  tattling." 

"  What !  "  cried  the  good  woman,  "  would  you  for 
bid  my  disburdening  my  conscience  to  my  confessor?  " 

"  No,  wife!  confess  as  many  of  your  own  sins  as 
you  please;  but  as  to  this  money-digging,  it  is  a  sin 
of  my  own,  and  my  conscience  is  very  easy  under  the 
weight  of  it." 

There  was  no  use,  however,  in  complaining;  the 
secret  was  told,  and,  like  water  spilled  on  the  sand, 
was  not  again  to  be  gathered.  Their  only  chance  was, 
that  the  friar  would  be  discreet. 

The  next  day,  while  Lope  Sanchez  was  abroad,  there 
was  an  humble  knocking  at  the  door,  and  Fray  Simon 
entered  with  meek  and  demure  countenance. 

"  Daughter,"  said  he,  "  I  have  earnestly  prayed  to 
San  Francisco,  and  he  has  heard  my  prayer.  In  the 
dead  of  the  night  the  saint  appeared  to  me  in  a  dream, 
but  with  a  frowning  aspect.  '  Why,'  said  he,  '  dost  thou 
pray  to  me  to  dispense  with  this  treasure  of  the  Gen 
tiles,  when  thou  seest  the  poverty  of  my  chapel?  Go 
to  the  house  of  Lope  Sanchez,  crave  in  my  name  a  por- 


THE  TWO  DISCREET  STATUES       325 

tion  of  the  Moorish  gold,  to  furnish  two  candlesticks 
for  the  main  altar,  and  let  him  possess  the  residue  in 
peace.' ' 

When  the  good  woman  heard  of  this  vision,  she 
crossed  herself  with  awe,  and  going  to  the  secret  place 
where  Lope  had  hid  the  treasure,  she  filled  a  great 
leathern  purse  with  pieces  of  Moorish  gold,  and  gave  it 
to  the  friar.  The  pious  monk  bestowed  upon  her,  in 
return,  benedictions  enough,  if  paid  by  Heaven,  to 
enrich  her  race  to  the  latest  posterity ;  then  slipping  the 
purse  into  the  sleeve  of  his  habit,  he  folded  his  hands 
upon  his  breast,  and  departed  with  an  air  of  humble 
thankfulness. 

When  Lope  Sanchez  heard  of  this  second  donation 
to  the  church,  he  had  wellnigh  lost  his  senses.  "  Un 
fortunate  man,"  cried  he,  "what  will  become  of  me? 
I  shall  be  robbed  by  piecemeal;  I  shall  be  ruined  and 
brought  to  beggary." 

It  was  with  the  utmost  difficulty  that  his  wife  could 
pacify  him,  by  reminding  him  of  the  countless  wealth 
that  yet  remained,  and  how  considerate  it  was  for  San 
Francisco  to  rest  contented  with  so  small  a  portion. 

Unluckily,  Fray  Simon  had  a  number  of  poor  re 
lations  to  be  provided  for,  not  to  mention  some  half- 
dozen  sturdy  bullet-headed  orphan  children  and  desti 
tute  foundlings  that  he  had  taken  under  his  care  He 
repeated  his  visits,  therefore,  from  day  to  day,  with 
solicitations  on  behalf  of  Saint  Dominick,  Saint  An 
drew,  Saint  James,  until  poor  Lope  was  driven  to 
despair,  and  found  that  unless  he  got  out  of  the  reach 
of  this  holy  friar,  he  should  have  to  make  peace-offer 
ings  to  every  saint  in  the  calendar.  He  determined, 
therefore,  to  pack  up  his  remaining  wealth,  beat  a 
secret  retreat  in  the  night,  and  make  off  to  another 
part  of  the  kingdom. 

Full  of  his  project,  he  bought  a  stout  mule  for  the 
purpose,  and  tethered  it  in  a  gloomy  vault  underneath 


326  THE  ALHAMBRA 

the  tower  of  the  seven  floors;  the  very  place  whence 
the  Belludo,  or  goblin  horse,  is  said  to  issue  forth  at 
midnight,  and  scour  the  streets  of  Granada,  pursued 
by  a  pack  of  hell-hounds.  Lope  Sanchez  had  little 
faith  in  the  story,  but  availed  himself  of  the  dread  oc 
casioned  by  it,  knowing  that  no  one  would  be  likely  to 
pry  into  the  subterranean  stable  of  the  phantom  steed. 
He  sent  off  his  family  in  the  course  of  the  day,  with 
orders  to  wait  for  him  at  a  distant  village  of  the  Vega. 
As  the  night  advanced,  he  conveyed  his  treasure  to 
the  vault  under  the  tower,  and  having  loaded  his  mule, 
he  led  it  forth,  and  cautiously  descended  the  dusky 
avenue. 

Honest  Lope  had  taken  his  measures  with  the  utmost 
secrecy,  imparting  them  to  no  one  but  the  faithful 
wife  of  his  bosom.  By  some  miraculous  revelation, 
however,  they  became  known  to  Fray  Simon.  The 
zealous  friar  beheld  these  infidel  treasures  on  the  point 
of  slipping  forever  out  of  his  grasp,  and  determined 
to  have  one  more  dash  at  them  for  the  benefit  of  the 
church  and  San  Francisco.  Accordingly,  when  the 
bells  had  rung  for  animas,  and  all  the  Alhambra  was 
quiet,  he  stole  out  of  his  convent,  and  descending 
through  the  Gate  of  Justice,  concealed  himself  among 
the  thickets  of  roses  and  laurels  that  border  the  great 
avenue.  Here  he  remained,  counting  the  quarters  of 
hours  as  they  were  sounded  on  the  bell  of  the  watch- 
tower,  and  listening  to  the  dreary  hootings  of  owls,  and 
the  distant  barking  of  dogs  from  the  gypsy  caverns. 

At  length  he  heard  the  tramp  of  hoofs,  and,  through 
the  gloom  of  the  overshading  trees,  imperfectly  beheld 
a  steed  descending  the  avenue.  The  sturdy  friar 
chuckled  at  the  idea  of  the  knowing  turn  he  was  about 
to  serve  honest  Lope. 

Tucking  up  the  skirts  of  his  habit,  and  wriggling 
like  a  cat  watching  a  mouse,  he  waited  until  his  prey 
was  directly  before  him,  when  darting  forth  from  his 


THE  TWO  DISCREET  STATUES       327 

leafy  covert,  and  putting  one  hand  on  the  shoulder  and 
the  other  on  the  crupper,  he  made  a  vault  that  would 
not  have  disgraced  the  most  experienced  master  of 
equitation,  and  alighted  well-forked  astride  the  steed. 
"Ah  ha!"  said  the  sturdy  friar,  "we  shall  now  see 
who  best  understands  the  game."  He  had  scarce  ut 
tered  the  words  when  the  mule  began  to  kick,  and  rear, 
and  plunge,  and  then  set  off  full  speed  down  the  hill. 
The  friar  attempted  to  check  him,  but  in  vain.  He 
bounded  from  rock  to  rock,  and  bush  to  bush ;  the 
friar's  habit  was  torn  to  ribbons  and  fluttered  in  the 
wind,  his  shaven  poll  received  many  a  hard  knock 
from  the  branches  of  the  trees,  and  many  a  scratch 
from  the  brambles.  To  add  to  his  terror  and  distress, 
he  found  a  pack  of  seven  hounds  in  full  cry  at  his 
heels,  and  perceived,  too  late,  that  he  was  actually 
mounted  upon  the  terrible  Belludo! 

Away  then  they  went,  according  to  the  ancient 
phrase,  "  pull  devil,  pull  friar,"  do\vn  the  great  avenue, 
across  the  Plaza  Nueva,  along  the  Zacatin,  around  the 
Vivarrambla  —  never  did  huntsman  and  hound  make 
a  more  furious  run,  or  more  infernal  uproar.  In  vain 
did  the  friar  invoke  every  saint  in  the  calendar,  and 
the  holy  Virgin  into  the  bargain ;  every  time  he  men 
tioned  a  name  of  the  kind  it  was  like  a  fresh  applica 
tion  of  the  spur,  and  made  the  Belludo  bound  as  high 
as  a  house.  Through  the  remainder  of  the  night  was 
the  unlucky  Fray  Simon  carried  hither  and  thither,  and 
whither  he  would  not,  until  every  bone  in  his  body 
ached,  and  he  suffered  a  loss  of  leather  too  grievous  to 
be  mentioned.  At  length  the  crowing  of  a  cock  gave 
the  signal  of  returning  day.  At  the  sound  the  goblin 
steed  wheeled  about,  and  galloped  back  for  his  tower. 
Again  he  scoured  the  Vivarrambla,  the  Zacatin,  the 
Plaza  Nueva,  and  the  avenue  of  fountains,  the  seven 
dogs  yelling,  and  barking,  and  leaping  up,  and  snap 
ping  at  the  heels  of  the  terrified  friar.  The  first  streak 


328  THE  ALHAMBRA 

of  day  had  just  appeared  as  they  reached  the  tower; 
here  the  goblin  steed  kicked  up  his  heels,  sent  the  friar 
a  summerset  through  the  air,  plunged  into  the  dark 
vault  followed  by  the  infernal  pack,  and  a  profound 
silence  succeeded  to  the  late  deafening  clamor. 

Was  ever  so  diabolical  a  trick  played  off  upon  a  holy 
friar?  A  peasant  going  to  his  labors  at  early  dawn 
found  the  unfortunate  Fray  Simon  lying  under  a  fig- 
tree  at  the  foot  of  the  tower,  but  so  bruised  and  be 
devilled  that  he  could  neither  speak  nor  move.  He  was 
conveyed  with  all  care  and  tenderness  to  his  cell,  and 
the  story  went  that  he  had  been  waylaid  and  maltreated 
by  robbers.  A  day  or  two  elapsed  before  he  recovered 
the  use  of  his  limbs ;  he  consoled  himself,  in  the  mean 
time,  with  the  thoughts  that  though  the  mule  with  the 
treasure  had  escaped  him,  he  had  previously  had  some 
rare  pickings  at  the  infidel  spoils.  His  first  care  on 
being  able  to  use  his  limbs,  was  to  search  beneath  his 
pallet,  where  he  had  secreted  the  myrtle  wreath  and  the 
leathern  pouches  of  gold  extracted  from  the  piety  of 
Dame  Sanchez.  What  was  his  dismay  at  finding  the 
wreath,  in  effect,  but  a  withered  branch  of  myrtle,  and 
the  leathern  pouches  filled  with  sand  and  gravel ! 

Fray  Simon,  with  all  his  chagrin,  had  the  discretion 
to  hold  his  tongue,  for  to  betray  the  secret  might  draw 
on  him  the  ridicule  of  the  public,  and  the  punishment 
of  his  superior.  It  was  not  until  many  years  after 
wards,  on  his  death-bed,  that  he  revealed  to  his  con 
fessor  his  nocturnal  ride  on  the  Belludo. 

Nothing  was  heard  of  Lope  Sanchez  for  a  long  time 
after  his  disappearance  from  the  Alhambra.  His  mem 
ory  was  always  cherished  as  that  of  a  merry  compan 
ion,  though  it  was  feared,  from  the  care  and  melan 
choly  observed  in  his  conduct  shortly  before  his 
mysterious  departure,  that  poverty  and  distress  had 
driven  him  to  some  extremity.  Some  years  afterwards 
one  of  his  old  companions,  an  invalid  soldier,  being  at 


THE  TWO  DISCREET  STATUES       329 

Malaga,  was  knocked  down  and  nearly  run  over  by 
a  coach  and  six.  The  carriage  stopped ;  an  old  gentle 
man,  magnificently  dressed,  with  a  bag-wig  and  sword, 
stepped  out  to  assist  the  poor  invalid.  What  was  the 
astonishment  of  the  latter  to  behold  in  this  grand  cava 
lier  his  old  friend  Lope  Sanchez,  who  was  actually  cele 
brating  the  marriage  of  his  daughter  Sanchica  with 
one  of  the  first  grandees  in  the  land. 

The  carriage  contained  the  bridal  party.  There  was 
Dame  Sanchez,  now  grown  as  round  as  a  barrel,  and 
dressed  out  with  feathers  and  jewels,  and  necklaces  of 
pearls,  and  necklaces  of  diamonds,  and  rings  on  every 
finger,  altogether  a  finery  of  apparel  that  had  not  been 
seen  since  the  days  of  Queen  Sheba.  The  little  San 
chica  had  now  grown  to  be  a  woman,  and  for  grace  and 
beauty  might  have  been  mistaken  for  a  duchess,  if  not 
a  princess  outright.  The  bridegroom  sat  beside  her  — 
rather  a  withered  spindle-shanked  little  man,  but  this 
only  proved  him  to  be  of  the  true-blue  blood ;  a  legiti 
mate  Spanish  grandee  being  rarely  above  three  cubits 
in  stature.  The  match  had  been  of  the  mother's 
making. 

Riches  had  not  spoiled  the  heart  of  honest  Lope.  He 
kept  his  old  comrade  with  him  for  several  days; 
feasted  him  like  a  king,  took  him  to  plays  and  bull 
fights,  and  at  length  sent  him  away  rejoicing,  with  a 
big  bag  of  money  for  himself,  and  another  to  be  dis 
tributed  among  his  ancient  messmates  of  the  Alhambra. 

Lope  always  gave  out  that  a  rich  brother  had  died 
in  America  and  left  him  heir  to  a  copper  mine;  but  the 
shrewd  gossips  of  the  Alhambra  insist  that  his  wealth 
was  all  derived  from  his  having  discovered  the  secret 
guarded  by  the  two  marble  nymphs  of  the  Alhambra. 
It  is  remarked  that  these  very  discreet  statues  continue, 
even  unto  the  present  day,  with  their  eyes  fixed  most 
significantly  on  the  same  part  of  the  wall ;  which  leads 
many  to  suppose  there  is  still  some  hidden  treasure 


330  THE  ALHAMBRA 

remaining  there  well  worthy  the  attention  of  the  enter 
prising  traveller.  Though  others,  and  particularly  all 
female  visitors,  regard  them  with  great  complacency 
as  lasting  monuments  of  the  fact  that  women  can  keep 
a  secret. 


THE  CRUSADE  OF  THE  GRAND 
MASTER  OF  ALCANTARA 

IN  the  course  of  a  morning's  research  among  the  old 
chronicles  in  the  Library  of  the  University,  I  came 
upon  a  little  episode  in  the  history  of  Granada,  so 
strongly  characteristic  of  the  bigot  zeal  which  some 
times  inflamed  the  Christian  enterprises  against  this 
splendid  but  devoted  city,  that  I  was  tempted  to  draw 
it  forth  from  the  parchment-bound  volume  in  which 
it  lay  entombed,  and  submit  it  to  the  reader. 

In  the  year  of  redemption,  1394,  there  was  a  valiant 
and  devout  grand  master  of  Alcantara,  named  Martin 
Yanez  de  Barbudo,  who  was  inflamed  with  a  vehement 
desire  to  serve  God  and  fight  the  Moors.  Unfortu 
nately  for  this  brave  and  pious  cavalier,  a  profound 
peace  existed  between  the  Christian  and  Moslem 
powers.  Henry  III  had  just  ascended  the  throne  of 
Castile,  and  Yusef  ben  Mohammed  had  succeeded  to 
the  throne  of  Granada,  and  both  were  disposed  to  con 
tinue  the  peace  which  had  prevailed  between  their 
fathers.  The  grand  master  looked  with  repining  at 
Moorish  banners  and  weapons,  which  decorated  his 
castle-hall,  trophies  of  the  exploits  of  his  predecessors ; 
and  repined  at  his  fate  to  exist  in  a  period  of  such 
inglorious  tranquillity. 

At  length  his  impatience  broke  through  all  bounds, 
and  seeing  that  he  could  find  no  public  war  in  which  to 


GRAND  MASTER  OF  ALCANTARA     331 

engage,  he  resolved  to  carve  out  a  little  war  for  himself. 
Such  at  least  is  the  account  given  by  some  ancient 
chronicles,  though  others  give  the  following  as  the 
motive  for  this  sudden  resolution  to  go  campaigning. 

As  the  grand  master  was  one  day  seated  at  table 
with  several  of  his  cavaliers,  a  man  suddenly  entered 
the  hall,  —  tall,  meagre,  and  bony,  with  haggard 
countenance  and  fiery  eye.  All  recognized  him  for  a 
hermit,  who  had  been  a  soldier  in  his  youth,  but  now 
led  a  life  of  penitence  in  a  cave.  He  advanced  to  the 
table  and  struck  upon  it  with  a  fist  that  seemed  of  iron. 
"  Cavaliers,"  said  he,  "  why  sit  ye  here  idly,  with  your 
weapons  resting  against  the  wall,  while  the  enemies  of 
the  faith  lord  it  over  the  fairest  portion  of  the  land  ?  " 

"  Holy  father,  what  wouldst  thou  have  us  do," 
asked  the  grand  master,  "  seeing  the  wars  are  over 
and  our  swords  bound  up  by  treaties  of  peace?  " 

"  Listen  to  my  words,"  replied  the  hermit.  "  As  I 
was  seated  late  at  night  at  the  entrance  of  my  cave, 
contemplating  the  heavens,  I  fell  into  a  reverie,  and  a 
wonderful  vision  was  presented  to  me.  I  beheld  the 
moon,  a  mere  crescent,  yet  luminous  as  the  brightest 
silver,  and  it  hung  in  the  heavens  over  the  kingdom  of 
Granada.  While  I  was  looking  at  it,  behold  there  shot 
forth  from  the  firmament  a  blazing  star,  which,  as  it 
went,  drew  after  it  all  the  stars  of  heaven ;  and  they 
assailed  the  moon  and  drove  it  from  the  skies ;  and  the 
whole  firmament  was  filled  with  the  glory  of  that  blaz 
ing  star.  While  mine  eyes  were  yet  dazzled  by  this 
wondrous  sight,  some  one  stood  by  me  with  snowy 
wings  and  a  shining  countenance.  '  Oh  man  of  prayer/ 
said  he,  '  get  thee  to  the  grand  master  of  Alcantara  and 
tell  him  of  the  vision  thou  hast  beheld.  He  is  the 
blazing  star,  destined  to  drive  the  crescent,  the  Mos 
lem  emblem,  from  the  land.  Let  him  boldly  draw  the 
sword  and  continue  the  good  work  begun  by  Pelazo  of 
old,  and  victory  will  assuredly  attend  his  banner,' ' 


332  THE  ALHAMBRA 

The  grand  master  listened  to  the  hermit  as  to  a  mes 
senger  from  heaven,  and  followed  his  counsel  in  all 
things.  By  his  advice  he  dispatched  two  of  his  stoutest 
warriors,  armed  cap-a-pie,  on  an  embassy  to  the  Moor 
ish  king.  They  entered  the  gates  of  Granada  without 
molestation,  as  the  nations  were  at  peace;  and  made 
their  way  to  the  Alhambra,  where  they  were  promptly 
admitted  to  the  king,  who  received  them  in  the  Hall 
of  Ambassadors.  They  delivered  their  message 
roundly  and  hardly.  "  We  come,  O  King,  from  Don 
Martin  Tanez  de  Barbudo,  grand  master  of  Alcantara ; 
who  affirms  the  faith  of  Jesus  Christ  to  be  true  and 
holy,  and  that  of  Mahomet  false  and  detestable,  and  he 
challenges  thee  to  maintain  the  contrary,  hand  to  hand, 
in  single  combat.  Shouldst  thou  refuse,  he  offers  to 
combat  with  one  hundred  cavaliers  against  two  hun 
dred;  or,  in  like  proportion,  to  the  number  of  one 
thousand,  always  allowing  thy  faith  a  double  number 
of  champions.  Remember,  O  King,  that  thou  canst 
not  refuse  this  challenge;  since  thy  prophet,  knowing 
the  impossibility  of  maintaining  his  doctrines  by  argu 
ment,  has  commanded  his  followers  to  enforce  them 
with  the  sword." 

The  beard  of  King  Yusef  trembled  with  indignation. 
"  The  master  of  Alcantara,"  said  he,  "  is  a  madman  to 
send  such  a  message,  and  ye  are  saucy  knaves  to 
bring  it." 

So  saying,  he  ordered  the  ambassadors  to  be  thrown 
into  a  dungeon,  by  way  of  giving  them  a  lesson  in  di 
plomacy  ;  and  they  were  roughly  treated  on  their  way 
thither  by  the  populace,  who  were  exasperated  at  this 
insult  to  their  sovereign  and  their  faith. 

The  grand  master  of  Alcantara  could  scarcely  credit 
the  tidings  of  the  maltreatment  of  his  messengers ;  but 
the  hermit  rejoiced  when  they  were  repeated  to  him. 
"  God,"  said  he,  "  has  blinded  this  infidel  king  for  his 
downfall.  Since  he  has  sent  no  reply  to  thy  defiance, 


GRAND  MASTER  OF  ALCANTARA    333 

consider  it  accepted.  Marshal  thy  forces,  therefore; 
march  forward  to  Granada ;  pause  not  until  thou  seest 
the  gate  of  Elvira.  A  miracle  will  be  wrought  in  thy 
favor.  There  will  be  a  great  battle;  the  enemy  will  be 
overthrown ;  but  not  one  of  thy  soldiers  will  be  slain." 

The  grand  master  called  upon  every  warrior  zealous 
in  the  Christian  cause  to  aid  him  in  this  crusade.  In 
a  little  while  three  hundred  horsemen  and  a  thousand 
foot-soldiers  rallied  under  his  standard.  The  horse 
men  were  veterans,  seasoned  to  battle  and  well  armed ; 
but  the  infantry  were  raw  and  undisciplined.  The  vic 
tory,  however,  was  to  be  miraculous ;  the  grand  master 
was  a  man  of  surpassing  faith,  and  knew  that  the 
weaker  the  means  the  greater  the  miracle.  He  sallied 
forth  confidently,  therefore,  with  his  little  army,  and 
the  hermit  strode  ahead,  bearing  a  cross  on  the  end  of 
a  long  pole,  and  beneath  it  the  pennon  of  the  order  of 
Alcantara. 

As  they  approached  the  city  of  Cordova  they  were 
overtaken  by  messengers,  spurring  in  all  haste,  bearing 
missives  from  the  Castilian  monarch,  forbidding  the 
enterprise.  The  grand  master  was  a  man  of  a  single 
mind  and  a  single  will ;  in  other  words,  a  man  of  one 
idea.  "  Were  I  on  any  other  errand,"  said  he,  "  I 
should  obey  these  letters  as  coming  from  my  lord  the 
king;  but  I  am  sent  by  a  higher  power  than  the  king. 
In  compliance  with  its  commands  I  have  advanced  the 
cross  thus  far  against  the  infidels;  and  it  would  be 
treason  to  the  standard  of  Christ  to  turn  back  without 
achieving  my  errand." 

So  the  trumpets  were  sounded ;  the  cross  was  again 
reared  aloft,  and  the  band  of  zealots  resumed  their 
march.  As  they  passed  through  the  streets  of  Cordova 
the  people  were  amazed  at  beholding  a  hermit  bearing 
a  cross  at  the  head  of  a  warlike  multitude ;  but  when 
they  learnt  that  a  miraculous  victory  was  to  be  effected 
and  Granada  destroyed,  laborers  and  artisans  threw  by 


334  THE  ALHAMBRA 

the  implements  of  their  handicrafts  and  joined  in  the 
crusade;  while  a  mercenary  rabble  followed  on  with 
a  view  of  plunder. 

A  number  of  cavaliers  of  rank  who  lacked  faith  in 
the  promised  miracle,  and  dreaded  the  consequences  of 
this  unprovoked  irruption  into  the  country  of  the  Moor, 
assembled  at  the  bridge  of  the  Guadalquivir  and 
endeavored  to  dissuade  the  grand  master  from  cross 
ing.  He  was  deaf  to  prayers,  expostulations,  or  men 
aces  ;  his  followers  were  enraged  at  this  opposition  to 
the  cause  of  the  faith;  they  put  an  end  to  the  parley 
by  their  clamors ;  the  cross  was  again  reared  and  borne 
triumphantly  across  the  bridge. 

The  multitude  increased  as  it  proceeded ;  by  the  time 
the  grand  master  had  reached  Alcala  la  Real,  which 
stands  on  a  mountain  overlooking  the  Vega  of  Gra 
nada,  upwards  of  five  thousand  men  on  foot  had  joined 
his  standard. 

At  Alcala  came  forth  Alonzo  Fernandez  de  Cordova, 
Lord  of  Aguilar,  his  brother  Diego  Fernandez,  Mar 
shal  of  Castile,  and  other  cavaliers  of  valor  and  expe 
rience.  Placing  themselves  in  the  way  of  the  grand 
master,  "What  madness  is  this,  Don  Martin?"  said 
they ;  "  the  Moorish  king  has  two  hundred  thousand 
foot-soldiers  and  five  thousand  horse  within  his  walls ; 
what  can  you  and  your  handful  of  cavaliers  and  your 
noisy  rabble  do  against  such  force?  Bethink  you  of 
the  disasters  which  have  befallen  other  Christian  com 
manders,  who  have  crossed  these  rocky  borders  with 
ten  times  your  force.  Think,  too,  of  the  mischief  that 
will  be  brought  upon  this  kingdom  by  an  outrage  of 
the  kind  committed  by  a  man  of  your  rank  and  impor 
tance,  a  grand  master  of  Alcantara.  Pause,  we  entreat 
you,  while  the  truce  is  yet  unbroken.  Await  within 
the  borders  the  reply  of  the  king  of  Granada  to  your 
challenge.  If  he  agree  to  meet  you  singly,  or  with 
champions  two  or  three,  it  will  be  your  individual  con- 


GRAND  MASTER  OF  ALCANTARA     335 

test,  and  fight  it  out  in  God's  name;  if  he  refuse,  you 
may  return  home  with  great  honor  and  the  disgrace 
will  fall  upon  the  Moors." 

Several  cavaliers,  who  had  hitherto  followed  the 
grand  master  with  devoted  zeal,  were  moved  by  these 
expostulations,  and  suggested  to  him  the  policy  of  lis 
tening  to  this  advice. 

"  Cavaliers,"  said  he,  addressing  himself  to  Alonzo 
Fernandez  de  Cordova  and  his  companions,  "  I  thank 
you  for  the  counsel  you  have  so  kindly  bestowed  upon 
me,  and  if  I  were  merely  in  pursuit  of  individual 
glory  I  might  be  swayed  by  it.  But  I  am  engaged 
to  achieve  a  great  triumph  of  the  faith,  which  God  is 
to  effect  by  miracle  through  my  means.  As  to  you, 
cavaliers,"  turning  to  those  of  his  followers  who  had 
wavered,  "  if  your  hearts  fail  you,  or  you  repent  of 
having  put  your  hands  to  this  good  work,  return,  in 
God's  name,  and  my  blessing  go  with  you.  For  myself, 
though  I  have  none  to  stand  by  me  but  this  holy  her 
mit,  yet  will  I  assuredly  proceed ;  until  I  have  planted 
this  sacred  standard  on  the  walls  of  Granada,  or  per 
ished  in  the  attempt." 

"  Don  Martin  Yanez  de  Barbudo,"  replied  the  cav 
aliers,  "  we  are  not  men  to  turn  our  backs  upon  our 
commander,  however  rash  his  enterprise.  We  spoke 
but  in  caution.  Lead  on,  therefore,  and  if  it  be  to  the 
death,  be  assured  to  the  death  we  will  follow  thee." 

By  this  time  the  common  soldiers  became  impatient. 
"  Forward !  forward !  "  shouted  they.  "  Forward  in 
the  cause  of  faith."  So  the  grand  master  gave  signal, 
the  hermit  again  reared  the  cross  aloft,  and  they  poured 
down  a  defile  of  the  mountain,  with  solemn  chants  of 
triumph. 

That  night  they  encamped  at  the  river  of  Azores, 
and  the  next  morning,  which  was  Sunday,  crossed  the 
borders.  Their  first  pause  was  at  an  atalaya  or  soli 
tary  tower,  built  upon  a  rock ;  a  frontier  post  to  keep 


336  THE  ALHAMBRA 

a  watch  upon  the  border,  and  give  notice  of  invasion. 
It  was  thence  called  el  Torre  del  Exea  (the  tower  of 
the  spy).  The  grand  master  halted  before  it  and  sum 
moned  its  petty  garrison  to  surrender.  He  was  an 
swered  by  a  shower  of  stones  and  arrows,  which 
wounded  him  in  the  hand  and  killed  three  of  his  men. 

"  How  is  this,  father?  "  said  he  to  the  hermit;  "  you 
assured  me  that  not  one  of  my  followers  would  be 
slain!" 

"  True,  my  son;  but  I  meant  in  the  great  battle  of 
the  infidel  king;  what  need  is  there  of  miracle  to  aid 
in  the  capture  of  a  petty  tower  ?  " 

The  grand  master  was  satisfied.  He  ordered  wood 
to  be  piled  against  the  door  of  the  tower  to  burn  it 
down.  In  the  mean  time  provisions  were  unloaded 
from  the  sumpter-mules,  and  the  crusaders,  withdraw 
ing  beyond  bow-shot,  sat  down  on  the  grass  to  a  repast 
to  strengthen  them  for  the  arduous  day's  work  before 
them.  While  thus  engaged,  they  were  startled  by  the 
sudden  appearance  of  a  great  Moorish  host.  The  ata- 
layas  had  given  the  alarm  by  fire  and  smoke  from  the 
mountain-tops  of  "  an  enemy  across  the  border,"  and 
the  king  of  Granada  had  sallied  forth  with  a  great  force 
to  the  encounter. 

The  crusaders,  nearly  taken  by  surprise,  flew  to  arms 
and  prepared  for  battle.  The  grand  master  ordered 
his  three  hundred  horsemen  to  dismount  and  fight  on 
foot  in  support  of  the  infantry.  The  Moors,  however, 
charged  so  suddenly  that  they  separated  the  cavaliers 
from  the  foot-soldiers  and  prevented  their  uniting. 
The  grand  master  gave  the  old  war-cry,  "  Santiago ! 
Santiago !  and  close  Spain !  "  He  and  his  knights 
breasted  the  fury  of  the  battle,  but  were  surrounded  by 
a  countless  host  and  assailed  with  arrows,  stones,  darts, 
and  arquebuses.  Still  they  fought  fearlessly,  and  made 
prodigious  slaughter.  The  hermit  mingled  in  the  hot 
test  of  the  fight.  In  one  hand  he  bore  the  cross,  in  the 


GRAND  MASTER  OF  ALCANTARA     337 

other  he  brandished  a  sword,  with  which  he  dealt  about 
him  like  a  maniac,  slaying  several  of  the  enemy,  until 
he  sank  to  the  ground  covered  with  wounds.  The 
grand  master  saw  him  fall,  and  saw  too  late  the  fallacy 
of  his  prophecies.  Despair,  however,  only  made  him 
fight  the  more  fiercely,  until  he  also  fell  overpowered 
by  numbers.  His  devoted  cavaliers  emulated  his  holy 
zeal.  Not  one  turned  his  back  nor  asked  for  mercy; 
all  fought  until  they  fell.  As  to  the  foot-soldiers,  many 
were  killed,  many  taken  prisoners ;  the  residue  escaped 
to  Alcala  la  Real.  When  the  Moors  came  to  strip  the 
slain,  the  wounds  of  the  cavaliers  were  all  found  to  be 
in  front. 

Such  was  the  catastrophe  of  this  fanatic  enterprise. 
The  Moors  vaunted  it  as  a  decisive  proof  of  the  supe 
rior  sanctity  of  their  faith,  and  extolled  their  king  to 
the  skies  when  he  returned  in  triumph  to  Granada. 

As  it  was  satisfactorily  shown  that  this  crusade  was 
the  enterprise  of  an  individual,  and  contrary  to  the 
express  orders  of  the  king  of  Castile,  the  peace  of  the 
two  kingdoms  was  not  interrupted.  Nay,  the  Moors 
evinced  a  feeling  of  respect  for  the  valor  of  the  unfor 
tunate  grand  master,  and  readily  gave  up  his  body  to 
Don  Alonzo  Fernandez  de  Cordova,  who  came  from 
Alcala  to  seek  it.  The  Christians  of  the  frontier  united 
in  paying  the  last  sad  honors  to  his  memory.  His  body 
was  placed  upon  a  bier,  covered  with  the  pennon  of  the 
order  of  Alcantara ;  and  the  broken  cross,  the  emblem 
of  his  confident  hopes  and  fatal  disappointment,  was 
borne  before  it.  In  this  way  his  remains  were  carried 
back  in  funeral  procession,  through  the  mountain  tract 
which  he  had  traversed  so  resolutely.  Wherever  it 
passed,  through  a  town  or  village,  the  populace  fol 
lowed,  with  tears  and  lamentations,  bewailing  him  as 
a  valiant  knight  and  a  martyr  to  the  faith.  His  body 
was  interred  in  the  chapel  of  the  convent  of  Santa 
Maria  de  Almocovara,  and  on  his  sepulchre  may  still 

M 


338  THE  ALHAMBRA 

be  seen  engraven  in  quaint  and  antique  Spanish  the  fol 
lowing  testimonial  to  his  bravery :  — 

HERE  LIES  ONE  WHOSE  HEART  NEVER  KNEW  FEAR. 

(Aqui  yaz  aquel  que  par  neua  cosa  nunca  eve  pavor  en  seu 
corazon.)1 


SPANISH   ROMANCE 

IN  the  latter  part  of  my  sojourn  in  the  Alhambra,  I 
made  frequent  descents  into  the  Jesuit's  Library  of 
the  University;  and  relished  more  and  more  the  old 
Spanish  chronicles,  which  I  found  there  bound  in 
parchment.  I  delight  in  those  quaint  histories  which 
treat  of  the  times  when  the  Moslems  maintained  a  foot 
hold  in  the  Peninsula.  With  all  their  bigotry  and  oc 
casional  intolerance,  they  are  full  of  noble  acts  and 
generous  sentiments,  and  have  a  high,  spicy,  Oriental 
flavor,  not  to  be  found  in  other  records  of  the  times, 
which  were  merely  European.  In  fact,  Spain,  even 
at  the  present  day,  is  a  country  apart;  severed  in  his 
tory,  habits,  manners,  and  modes  of  thinking,  from 
all  the  rest  of  Europe.  It  is  a  romantic  country ;  but 
its  romance  has  none  of  the  sentimentality  of  modern 
European  romance;  it  is  chiefly  derived  from  the 
brilliant  regions  of  the  East,  and  from  the  high-minded 
school  of  Saracenic  chivalry. 

The  Arab  invasion  and  conquest  brought  a  higher 
civilization,  and  a  nobler  style  of  thinking,  into  Gothic 
Spain.  The  Arabs  were  a  quick-witted,  sagacious, 
proud-spirited,  and  poetical  people,  and  were  imbued 
with  Oriental  science  and  literature.  Wherever  they 
established  a  seat  of  power,  it  became  a  rallying-place 

1  Torres.  Hist.  Ord.  Alcantara.  "Cron.  Enrique  III."  por  Pedro 
Lopez  de  Ayala. 


SPANISH  ROMANCE  339 

for  the  learned  and  ingenious ;  and  they  softened  and 
refined  the  people  whom  they  conquered.  By  degrees, 
occupancy  seemed  to  give  them  an  hereditary  right  to 
their  foothold  in  the  land ;  they  ceased  to  be  looked 
upon  as  invaders,  and  were  regarded  as  rival  neighbors. 
The  Peninsula,  broken  up  into  a  variety  of  states,  both 
Christian  and  Moslem,  became,  for  centuries,  a  great 
campaigning-ground,  where  the  art  of  war  seemed  to 
be  the  principal  business  of  man,  and  was  carried  to 
the  highest  pitch  of  romantic  chivalry.  The  original 
ground  of  hostility,  a  difference  of  faith,  gradually 
lost  its  rancor.  Neighboring  states,  of  opposite  creeds, 
were  occasionally  linked  together  in  alliances,  offensive 
and  defensive;  so  that  the  cross  and  crescent  were  to 
be  seen  side  by  side,  fighting  against  some  common 
enemy.  In  times  of  peace,  too,  the  noble  youth  of 
either  faith  resorted  to  the  same  cities,  Christian  or 
Moslem,  to  school  themselves  in  military  science. 
Even  in  the  temporary  truces  of  sanguinary  wars,  the 
warriors  who  had  recently  striven  together  in  the 
deadly  conflicts  of  the  field,  laid  aside  their  animosity, 
met  at  tournaments,  jousts,  and  other  military  festivi 
ties,  and  exchanged  the  courtesies  of  gentle  and  gener 
ous  spirits.  Thus  the  opposite  races  became  frequently 
mingled  together  in  peaceful  intercourse,  or  if  any 
rivalry  took  place,  it  was  in  those  high  courtesies  and 
nobler  acts,  which  bespeak  the  accomplished  cavalier. 
Warriors,  of  opposite  creeds,  became  ambitious  of 
transcending  each  other  in  magnanimity  as  well  as 
valor.  Indeed,  the  chivalric  virtues  were  refined  upon 
to  a  degree  sometimes  fastidious  and  constrained,  but 
at  other  times  inexpressibly  noble  and  affecting.  The 
annals  of  the  times  teem  with  illustrious  instances  of 
high-wrought  courtesy,  romantic  generosity,  lofty  dis 
interestedness,  and  punctilious  honor,  that  warm  the 
very  soul  to  read  them.  These  have  furnished  themes 
for  national  plays  and  poems,  or  have  been  celebrated 


340  THE  ALHAMBRA 

in  those  all-pervading  ballads,  which  are  as  the  life- 
breath  of  the  people,  and  thus  have  continued  to  exer 
cise  an  influence  on  the  national  character,  which 
centuries  of  vicissitude  and  decline  have  not  been  able 
to  destroy;  so  that,  with  all  their  faults,  and  they  are 
many,  the  Spaniards,  even  at  the  present  day,  are,  on 
many  points,  the  most  high-minded  and  proud-spirited 
people  of  Europe.  It  is  true,  the  romance  of  feeling 
derived  from  the  sources  I  have  mentioned,  has,  like 
all  other  romance,  its  affectations  and  extremes.  It 
renders  the  Spaniard  at  times  pompous  and  grandilo 
quent;  prone  to  carry  the  "  pundonor,"  or  point  of 
honor,  beyond  the  bounds  of  sober  sense  and  sound 
morality;  disposed,  in  the  midst  of  poverty,  to  affect 
the  "  grande  caballero,"  and  to  look  down  with  sov 
ereign  disdain  upon  "  arts  mechanical,"  and  all  the 
gainful  pursuits  of  plebeian  life;  but  this  very  inflation 
of  spirit,  while  it  fills  his  brain  with  vapors,  lifts  him 
above  a  thousand  meannesses;  and  though  it  often 
keeps  him  in  indigence,  ever  protects  him  from 
vulgarity. 

In  the  present  day,  when  popular  literature  is  run 
ning  into  the  low  levels  of  life,  and  luxuriating  on 
the  vices  and  follies  of  mankind;  and  when  the  uni 
versal  pursuit  of  gain  is  trampling  down  the  early 
growth  of  poetic  feeling,  and  wearing  out  the  verdure 
of  the  soul,  I  question  whether  it  would  not  be  of  ser 
vice  for  the  reader  occasionally  to  turn  to  these  records 
of  prouder  times  and  loftier  modes  of  thinking;  and 
to  steep  himself  to  the  very  lips  in  old  Spanish  romance. 

With  these  preliminary  suggestions,  the  fruit  of  a 
morning's  reading  and  rumination  in  the  old  Jesuit's 
Library  of  the  University,  I  will  give  him  a  legend  in 
point,  drawn  forth  from  one  of  the  venerable  chronicles 
alluded  to. 


DON  MUNIO  SANCHO  DE  HINOJOSA     341 


LEGEND  OF  DON  MUNIO  SANCHO 
DE  HINOJOSA 

IN  the  cloisters  of  the  ancient  Benedictine  convent  of 
San  Domingo,  at  Silos,  in  Castile,  are  the  mouldering 
yet  magnificent  monuments  of  the  once  powerful  and 
chivalrous  family  of  Hinojosa.  Among  these  reclines 
the  marble  figure  of  a  knight,  in  complete  armor,  with 
the  hands  pressed  together,  as  if  in  prayer.  On  one 
side  of  his  tomb  is  sculptured  in  relief  a  band  of  Chris 
tian  cavaliers,  capturing  a  cavalcade  of  male  and  fe 
male  Moors ;  on  the  other  side,  the  same  cavaliers  are 
represented  kneeling  before  an  altar.  The  tomb,  like 
most  of  the  neighboring  monuments,  is  almost  in  ruins, 
and  the  sculpture  is  nearly  unintelligible,  excepting  to 
the  keen  eye  of  the  antiquary.  The  story  connected 
with  the  sepulchre,  however,  is  still  preserved  in  the 
old  Spanish  chronicles,  and  is  to  the  following  purport. 

In  old  times,  several  hundred  years  ago,  there  was  a 
noble  Castilian  cavalier,  named  Don  Munio  Sancho  de 
Hinojosa,  lord  of  a  border  castle,  which  had  stood 
the  brunt  of  many  a  Moorish  foray.  He  had  seventy 
horsemen  as  his  household  troops,  all  of  the  ancient 
Castilian  proof ;  stark  warriors,  hard  riders,  and  men 
of  iron ;  with  these  he  scoured  the  Moorish  lands,  and 
made  his  name  terrible  throughout  the  borders.  His 
castle-hall  was  covered  with  banners,  cimeters,  and 
Moslem  helms,  the  trophies  of  his  prowess.  Don 
Munio  was,  moreover,  a  keen  huntsman ;  and  rejoiced 
in  hounds  of  all  kinds,  steeds  for  the  chase,  and  hawks 
for  the  towering  sport  of  falconry.  When  not  engaged 
in  warfare  his  delight  was  to  beat  up  the  neighboring 


342  THE  ALHAMBRA 

forests;  and  scarcely  ever  did  he  ride  forth  without 
hound  and  horn,  a  boar-spear  in  his  hand,  or  a  hawk 
upon  his  fist,  and  an  attendant  train  of  huntsmen. 

His  wife,  Dona  Maria  Palacin,  was  of  a  gentle  and 
timid  nature,  little  fitted  to  be  the  spouse  of  so  hardy 
and  adventurous  a  knight;  and  many  a  tear  did  the 
poor  lady  shed,  when  he  sallied  forth  upon  his  daring 
enterprises,  and  many  a  prayer  did  she  offer  up  for  his 
safety. 

As  this  doughty  cavalier  was  one  day  hunting,  he 
stationed  himself  in  a  thicket,  on  the  borders  of  a 
green  glade  of  the  forest,  and  dispersed  his  followers 
to  rouse  the  game,  and  drive  it  toward  his  stand.  He 
had  not  been  here  long,  when  a  cavalcade  of  Moors, 
of  both  sexes,  came  prankling  over  the  forest-lawn. 
They  were  unarmed,  and  magnificently  dressed  in 
robes  of  tissue  and  embroidery,  rich  shawls  of  India, 
bracelets  and  anklets  of  gold,  and  jewels  that  sparkled 
in  the  sun. 

At  the  head  of  this  gay  cavalcade  rode  a  youthful 
cavalier,  superior  to  the  rest  in  dignity  and  loftiness 
of  demeanor,  and  in  splendor  of  attire :  beside  him 
was  a  damsel,  whose  veil,  blown  aside  by  the  breeze, 
displayed  a  face  of  surpassing  beauty,  and  eyes  cast 
down  in  maiden  modesty,  yet  beaming  with  tenderness 
and  joy. 

Don  Munio  thanked  his  stars  for  sending  him  such 
a  prize,  and  exulted  at  the  thought  of  bearing  home 
to  his  wife  the  glittering  spoils  of  these  infidels.  Put 
ting  his  hunting-horn  to  his  lips,  he  gave  a  blast  that 
rung  through  the  forest.  His  huntsmen  came  running 
from  all  quarters,  and  the  astonished  Moors  were 
surrounded  and  made  captives. 

The  beautiful  Moor  wrung  her  hands  in  despair, 
and  her  female  attendants  uttered  the  most  piercing 
cries.  The  young  Moorish  cavalier  alone  retained  self- 
possession.  He  inquired  the  name  of  the  Christian 


DON  MUNIO  SANCHO  DE  HINOJOSA    343 

knight  who  commanded  this  troop  of  horsemen. 
When  told  that  it  was  Don  Munio  Sancho  de  Hino- 
josa,  his  countenance  lighted  up.  Approaching  that 
cavalier,  and  kissing  his  hand,  "  Don  Munio  Sancho," 
said  he,  "  I  have  heard  of  your  fame  as  a  true  and  val 
iant  knight,  terrible  in  arms,  but  schooled  in  the  noble 
virtues  of  chivalry.  Such  do  I  trust  to  find  you.  In 
me  you  behold  Abadil,  son  of  a  Moorish  alcayde.  I 
am  on  the  way  to  celebrate  my  nuptials  with  this  lady ; 
chance  has  thrown  us  in  your  power,  but  I  confide  in 
your  magnanimity.  Take  all  our  treasure  and  jewels; 
demand  what  ransom  you  think  proper  for  our  persons, 
but  suffer  us  not  to  be  insulted  nor  dishonored." 

When  the  good  knight  heard  this  appeal,  and  beheld 
the  beauty  of  the  youthful  pair,  his  heart  was  touched 
with  tenderness  and  courtesy.  "  God  forbid,"  said  he, 
"  that  I  should  disturb  such  happy  nuptials.  My  pris 
oners  in  troth  shall  ye  be  for  fifteen  days,  and  immured 
within  my  castle,  where  I  claim,  as  conqueror,  the 
right  of  celebrating  your  espousals." 

So  saying,  he  dispatched  one  of  his  fleetest  horsemen 
iii  advance,  to  notify  Dona  Maria  Palacin  of  the  com 
ing  of  this  bridal  party;  while  he  and  his  huntsmen 
escorted  the  cavalcade,  not  as  captors,  but  as  a  guard 
of  honor.  As  they  drew  near  to  the  castle,  the  ban 
ners  were  hung  out,  and  the  trumpets  sounded  from 
the  battlements;  and  on  their  nearer  approach,  the 
drawbridge  was  lowered,  and  Dona  Maria  came  forth 
to  meet  them,  attended  by  her  ladies  and  knights,  her 
pages  and  her  minstrels.  She  took  the  young  bride, 
Allifra,  in  her  arms,  kissed  her  with  the  tenderness 
of  a  sister,  and  conducted  her  into  the  castle.  In  the 
mean  time,  Don  Munio  sent  forth  missives  in  every 
direction,  and  had  viands  and  dainties  of  all  kinds  col 
lected  from  the  country  round;  and  the  wedding  of 
the  Moorish  lovers  was  celebrated  with  all  possible 
state  and  festivity.  For  fifteen  days  the  castle  was 


344  THE  ALHAMBRA 

given  up  to  joy  and  revelry.  There  were  tiltings  and 
jousts  at  the  ring,  and  bull-fights,  and  banquets,  and 
dances  to  the  sound  of  minstrelsy.  When  the  fifteen 
days  were  at  an  end,  he  made  the  bride  and  bride 
groom  magnificent  presents,  and  conducted  them 
and  their  attendants  safely  beyond  the  borders.  Such, 
in  old  times,  were  the  courtesy  and  generosity  of  a 
Spanish  cavalier. 

Several  years  after  this  event,  the  king  of  Castile 
summoned  his  nobles  to  assist  him  in  a  campaign 
against  the  Moors.  Don  Munio  Sancho  was  among 
the  first  to  answer  to  the  call,  with  seventy  horsemen, 
all  stanch  and  well-tried  warriors.  His  wife,  Dona 
Maria,  hung  about  his  neck.  "  Alas,  my  lord !  "  ex 
claimed  she,  "  how  often  wilt  thou  tempt  thy  fate, 
and  when  will  thy  thirst  for  glory  be  appeased!" 

"  One  battle  more,"  replied  Don  Munio,  "  one  battle 
more,  for  the  honor  of  Castile,  and  I  here  make  a 
vow,  that  when  this  is  over,  I  will  lay  by  my  sword, 
and  repair  with  my  cavaliers  in  pilgrimage  to  the 
sepulchre  of  our  Lord  at  Jerusalem."  The  cavaliers 
all  joined  with  him  in  the  vow,  and  Dona  Maria  felt 
in  some  degree  soothed  in  spirit;  still,  she  saw  with 
a  heavy  heart  the  departure  of  her  husband,  and 
watched  his  banner  with  wistful  eyes,  until  it  disap 
peared  among  the  trees  of  the  forest. 

The  king  of  Castile  led  his  army  to  the  plains  of 
Salmanara,  where  they  encountered  the  Moorish  host, 
near  to  Ucles.  The  battle  was  long  and  bloody;  the 
Christians  repeatedly  wavered  and  were  as  often  rallied 
by  the  energy  of  their  commanders.  Don  Munio  was 
covered  with  wounds,  but  refused  to  leave  the  field. 
The  Christians  at  length  gave  way,  and  the  king  was 
hardly  pressed,  and  in  danger  of  being  captured. 

Don  Munio  called  upon  his  cavaliers  to  follow  him 
to  the  rescue.  "  Now  is  the  time,"  cried  he,  "  to  prove 
your  loyalty.  Fall  to,  like  brave  men!  We  fight  for 


DON  MUNIO  SANCHO  DE  HINOJOSA    345 

the  true  faith,  and  if  we  lose  our  lives  here,  we  gain 
a  better  life  hereafter." 

Rushing  with  his  men  between  the  king  and  his  pur 
suers,  they  checked  the  latter  in  their  career,  and  gave 
time  for  their  monarch  to  escape ;  but  they  fell  victims 
to  their  loyalty.  They  all  fought  to  the  last  gasp. 
Don  Munio  was  singled  out  by  a  powerful  Moorish 
knight,  but  having  been  wounded  in  the  right  arm, 
he  fought  to  disadvantage,  and  was  slain.  The  battle 
being  over,  the  Moor  paused  to  possess  himself  of  the 
spoils  of  this  redoubtable  Christian  warrior.  When 
he  unlaced  the  helmet,  however,  and  beheld  the  coun 
tenance  of  Don  Munio,  he  gave  a  great  cry  and  smote 
his  breast.  "  Woe  is  me!  "  cried  he,  "  I  have  slain  my 
benefactor!  The  flower  of  knightly  virtue!  the  most 
magnanimous  of  cavaliers !  " 

While  the  battle  had  been  raging  on  the  plain  of 
Salmanara,  Dona  Maria  Palacin  remained  in  her  castle, 
a  prey  to  the  keenest  anxiety.  Her  eyes  were  ever 
fixed  on  the  road  that  led  from  the  country  of  the 
Moors,  and  often  she  asked  the  watchman  of  the  tower, 
"What  seest  thou?" 

One  evening,  at  the  shadowy  hour  of  twilight,  the 
warden  sounded  his  horn.  "  I  see,"  cried  he,  "  a  nu 
merous  train  winding  up  the  valley.  There  are  mingled 
Moors  and  Christians.  The  banner  of  my  lord  is  in 
the  advance.  Joyful  tidings !  "  exclaimed  the  old  senes 
chal  ;  "  my  lord  returns  in  triumph,  and  brings  cap 
tives  !  "  Then  the  castle  courts  rang  with  shouts  of 
joy ;  and  the  standard  was  displayed,  and  the  trumpets 
were  sounded,  and  the  drawbridge  was  lowered,  and 
Dona  Maria  went  forth  with  her  ladies,  and  her 
knights,  and  her  pages,  and  her  minstrels,  to  welcome 
her  lord  from  the  wars.  But  as  the  train  drew  nigh, 
she  beheld  a  sumptuous  bier,  covered  with  black  velvet, 
and  on  it  lay  a  warrior,  as  if  taking  his  repose:  he 


346  THE  ALHAMBRA 

lay  in  his  armor,  with  his  helmet  on  his  head,  and  his 
sword  in  his  hand,  as  one  who  had  never  been  con 
quered,  and  around  the  bier  were  the  escutcheons  of 
the  house  of  Hinojosa. 

A  number  of  Moorish  cavaliers  attended  the  bier, 
with  emblems  of  mourning,  and  with  dejected  counte 
nances;  and  their  leader  cast  himself  at  the  feet  of 
Dona  Maria,  and  hid  his  face  in  his  hands.  She  be 
held  in  him  the  gallant  Abadil,  whom  she  had  once  wel 
comed  with  his  bride  to  her  castle ;  but  who  now  came 
with  the  body  of  her  lord,  whom  he  had  unknowingly 
slain  in  battle! 

The  sepulchre  erected  in  the  cloisters  of  the  convent 
of  San  Domingo,  was  achieved  at  the  expense  of  the 
Moor  Abadil,  as  a  feeble  testimony  of  his  grief  for 
the  death  of  the  good  knight  Don  Munio,  and  his  rev 
erence  for  his  memory.  The  tender  and  faithful  Dona 
Maria  soon  followed  her  lord  to  the  tomb.  On  one 
of  the  stones  of  a  small  arch,  beside  his  sepulchre,  is 
the  following  simple  inscription :  "  Hie  jacet  Maria 
Palacin,  uxor  Munonis  Sancij  De  Finojosa" ;  —  Here 
lies  Maria  Palacin,  wife  of  Munio  Sancho  de  Hinojosa. 

The  legend  of  Don  Munio  Sancho  does  not  conclude 
with  his  death.  On  the  same  day  on  which  the  battle 
took  place  on  the  plain  of  Salmanara,  a  chaplain  of  the 
Holy  Temple  at  Jerusalem,  while  standing  at  the  outer 
gate,  beheld  a  train  of  Christian  cavaliers  advancing, 
as  if  in  pilgrimage.  The  chaplain  was  a  native  of 
Spain,  and  as  the  pilgrims  approached,  he  knew  the 
foremost  to  be  Don  Munio  Sancho  de  Hinojosa,  with 
whom  he  had  been  well  acquainted  in  former  times. 
Hastening  to  the  patriarch,  he  told  him  of  the  hono 
rable  rank  of  the  pilgrims  at  the  gate.  The  patriarch, 
therefore,  went  forth  with  a  grand  procession  of 
priests  and  monks,  and  received  the  pilgrims  with  all 
due  honor.  There  were  seventy  cavaliers,  beside  their 


POETS  AND  POETRY  OF  ANDALUS     347 

leader,  —  all  stark  and  lofty  warriors.  They  carried 
their  helmets  in  their  hands,  and  their  faces  were 
deadly  pale.  They  greeted  no  one,  nor  looked  either 
to  the  right  or  to  the  left,  but  entered  the  chapel,  and 
kneeling  before  the  sepulchre  of  our  Saviour,  per 
formed  their  orisons  in  silence.  When  they  had  con 
cluded,  they  rose  as  if  to  depart,  and  the  patriarch  and 
his  attendants  advanced  to  speak  to  them,  but  they 
were  no  more  to  be  seen.  Every  one  marvelled  what 
could  be  the  meaning  of  this  prodigy.  The  patriarch 
carefully  noted  down  the  day,  and  sent  to  Castile  to 
learn  tidings  of  Don  Munio  Sancho  de  Hinojosa.  He 
received  for  reply,  that  on  the  very  day  specified,  that 
worthy  knight,  with  seventy  of  his  followers,  had  been 
slain  in  battle.  These,  therefore,  must  have  been  the 
blessed  spirits  of  those  Christian  warriors,  come  to  ful 
fil  their  vow  of  pilgrimage  to  the  Holy  Sepulchre  at 
Jerusalem.  Such  was  Castilian  faith  in  the  olden  time, 
which  kept  its  word,  even  beyond  the  grave. 

If  any  one  should  doubt  of  the  miraculous  appari 
tion  of  these  phantom  knights,  let  him  consult  the  His 
tory  of  the  Kings  of  Castile  and  Leon,  by  the  learned 
and  pious  Fray  Prudencio  de  Sandoval,  bishop  of 
Pamplona,  where  he  will  find  it  recorded  in  the  His 
tory  of  King  Don  Alonzo  VI.,  on  the  hundred  and 
second  page.  It  is  too  precious  a  legend  to  be  lightly 
abandoned  to  the  doubter. 


POETS  AND  POETRY  OF  MOSLEM 
ANDALUS 

DURING  the  latter  part  of  my  sojourn  in  the  Alhambra 
I  was  more  than  once  visited  by  the  Moor  of  Tetuan, 
with  whom  I  took  great  pleasure  in  rambling  through 


348  THE  ALHAMBRA 

the  halls  and  courts,  and  getting  him  to  explain  to  me 
the  Arabic  inscriptions.  He  endeavored  to  do  so  faith 
fully;  but,  though  he  succeeded  in  giving  me  the 
thought,  he  despaired  of  imparting  an  idea  of  the  grace 
and  beauty  of  the  language.  The  aroma  of  the  poetry, 
said  he,  is  all  lost  in  translation.  Enough  was  im 
parted,  however,  to  increase  the  stock  of  my  delightful 
associations  with  this  extraordinary  pile.  Perhaps 
there  never  was  a  monument  more  characteristic  of  an 
age  and  people  than  the  Alhambra;  a  rugged  fortress 
without,  a  voluptuous  palace  within;  war  frowning 
from  its  battlements ;  poetry  breathing  throughout  the 
fairy  architecture  of  its  halls.  One  is  irresistibly  trans 
ported  in  imagination  to  those  times  when  Moslem 
Spain  was  a  region  of  light  amid  Christian,  yet 
benighted  Europe;  externally  a  warrior  power  fight 
ing  for  existence;  internally  a  realm  devoted  to 
literature,  science,  and  the  arts ;  where  philosophy  was 
cultivated  with  passion,  though  wrought  up  into 
subtleties  and  refinements;  and  where  the  luxuries  of 
sense  were  transcended  by  those  of  thought  and 
imagination. 

Arab  poetry,  we  are  told,  arrived  at  its  highest  splen 
dor  under  the  Ommiades  of  Spain,  who  for  a  long  time 
centred  the  power  and  splendor  of  the  western  Caliphat 
at  Cordova.  Most  of  the  sovereigns  of  that  brilliant 
line  were  themselves  poets.  One  of  the  last  of  them 
was  Mahomed  ben  Abderahman.  He  led  the  life  of  a 
sybarite  in  the  famous  palace  and  gardens  of  Azahara, 
surrounding  himself  with  all  that  could  excite  the  imag 
ination  and  delight  the  senses.  His  palace  was  the 
resort  of  poets.  His  vizier,  Ibn  Zeydun,  was  called  the 
Horace  of  Moslem  Spain,  from  his  exquisite  verses, 
which  were  recited  with  enthusiasm  even  in  the  saloons 
of  the  Eastern  Caliphs.  The  vizier  became  passion 
ately  enamored  of  the  princess  Walada,  daughter  of 
Mahomed.  She  was  the  idol  of  her  father's  court,  a 


POETS  AND  POETRY  OF  ANDALUS     349 

poetess  of  the  highest  order,  and  renowned  for  beauty 
as  well  as  talent.  If  Ibn  Zeyclun  was  the  Horace  of 
Moslem  Spain,  she  was  its  Sappho.  The  princess  be 
came  the  subject  of  the  vizier's  most  impassioned 
verses ;  especially  of  a  famous  risaleh  or  epistle  ad 
dressed  to  her  which  the  historian  Ash-Shakandi  de 
clares  has  never  been  equalled  for  tenderness  and  mel 
ancholy.  Whether  the  poet  was  happy  in  his  love,  the 
authors  I  have  consulted  do  not  say ;  but  one  intimates 
that  the  princess  was  discreet  as  she  was  beautiful,  and 
caused  many  a  lover  to  sigh  in  vain.  In  fact,  the  reign 
of  love  and  poetry  in  the  delicious  abode  of  Zahara,  was 
soon  brought  to  a  close  by  a  popular  insurrection. 
Mahomed  with  his  family  took  refuge  in  the  fortress 
of  Ucles,  near  Toledo,  where  he  was  treacherously 
poisoned  by  the  Alcayde;  and  thus  perished  one  of  the 
last  of  the  Ommiades. 

The  downfall  of  that  brilliant  dynasty,  which  had 
concentrated  everything  at  Cordova,  was  favorable  to 
the  general  literature  of  Morisco  Spain. 

"  After  the  breaking  of  the  necklace  and  the  scatter 
ing  of  its  pearls,"  says  Ash-Shakandi,  "  the  kings  of 
small  states  divided  among  themselves  the  patrimony 
of  the  Beni  Ommiah." 

They  vied  with  each  other  in  filling  their  capitals 
with  poets  and  learned  men,  and  rewarded  them  with 
boundless  prodigality.  Such  were  the  Moorish  kings 
of  Seville  of  the  illustrious  line  of  the  Beni  Abbad, 
"  with  whom,"  says  the  same  writer,  "  resided  fruit 
and  palm-trees  and  pomegranates;  who  became  the 
centre  of  eloquence  in  prose  and  verse;  every  day  of 
whose  reign  was  a  solemn  festivity ;  whose  history 
abounds  in  generous  actions  and  heroic  deeds,  that  will 
last  through  surrounding  ages  and  live  forever  in  the 
memory  of  man  !  " 

No  place,  however,  profited  more  in  point  of  civili 
zation  and  refinement  by  the  downfall  of  the  Western 


350  THE  ALHAMBRA 

Caliphat  than  Granada.  It  succeeded  to  Cordova  in 
splendor,  while  it  surpassed  it  in  romantic  beauty  of 
situation.  The  amenity  of  its  climate,  where  the  ar 
dent  heats  of  a  southern  summer  were  tempered  by 
breezes  from  snow-clad  mountains;  the  voluptuous 
repose  of  its  valleys  and  the  bosky  luxuriance  of  its 
groves  and  gardens  all  awakened  sensations  of  delight, 
and  disposed  the  mind  to  love  and  poetry.  Hence  the 
great  number  of  amatory  poets  that  flourished  in 
Granada.  Hence  those  amorous  canticles  breathing 
of  love  and  war,  and  wreathing  chivalrous  grace  round 
the  stern  exercise  of  arms.  Those  ballads  which  still 
form  the  pride  and  delight  of  Spanish  literature  are 
but  the  echoes  of  amatory  and  chivalric  lays,  which 
once  delighted  the  Moslem  courts  of  Andalus ;  and  in 
which  a  modern  historian  of  Granada  pretends  to  find 
the  origin  of  the  rima  Castellana  and  the  type  of  the 
"  gay  science  "  of  the  troubadours.1 

Poetry  was  cultivated  in  Granada  by  both  sexes. 
"  Had  Allah,"  says  Ash-Shakandi,  "  bestowed  no  other 
boon  on  Granada  than  that  of  making  it  the  birthplace 
of  so  many  poetesses,  that  alone  would  be  sufficient  for 
its  glory." 

Among  the  most  famous  of  these  was  Hafsah;  re 
nowned,  says  the  old  chronicler,  for  beauty,  talents, 
nobility,  and  wealth.  We  have  a  mere  relic  of  her 
poetry  in  some  verses,  addressed  to  her  lover,  Ahmed, 
recalling  an  evening  passed  together  in  the  garden  of 
Maumal. 

"  Allah  has  given  us  a  happy  night,  such  as  he  never 
vouchsafes  to  the  wicked  and  the  ignoble.  We  have 
beheld  the  cypresses  of  Maumal  gently  bowing  their 
heads  before  the  mountain  breeze,  —  the  sweet  per 
fumed  breeze  that  smelt  of  gillyflowers;  the  dove 
murmured  her  love  among  the  trees;  the  sweet  basil 
inclined  its  boughs  to  the  limpid  brook." 

1  Miguel  Lafuente  Alcantara. 


POETS  AND  POETRY  OF  ANDALUS     351 

The  garden  of  Maumal  was  famous  among  the 
Moors  for  its  rivulets,  its  fountains,  its  flowers,  and 
above  all,  its  cypresses.  It  had  its  name  from  a  vizier 
of  Abdallah,  grandson  of  Aben  Habuz,  and  Sultan  of 
Granada.  Under  the  administration  of  this  vizier 
many  of  the  noblest  public  works  were  executed.  He 
constructed  an  aqueduct  by  which  water  was  brought 
from  the  mountains  of  Alfacar  to  irrigate  the  hills  and 
orchards  north  of  the  city.  He  planted  a  public  walk 
with  cypress-trees,  and  "  made  delicious  gardens  for 
the  solace  of  the  melancholy  Moors."  "  The  name  of 
Maumal,"  says  Alcantara,  "  ought  to  be  preserved  in 
Granada  in  letters  of  gold."  Perhaps  it  is  as  well  pre 
served  by  being  associated  with  the  garden  he  planted ; 
and  by  being  mentioned  in  the  verses  of  Hafsah. 
How  often  does  a  casual  word  from  a  poet  confer 
immortality ! 

Perhaps  the  reader  may  be  curious  to  learn  some 
thing  of  the  story  of  Hafsah  and  her  lover,  thus  con 
nected  with  one  of  the  beautiful  localities  of  Granada. 
The  following  are  all  the  particulars  I  have  been  able 
to  rescue  out  of  the  darkness  and  oblivion  which  have 
settled  upon  the  brightest  names  and  geniuses  of  Mos 
lem  Spain. 

Ahmed  and  Hafsah  flourished  in  the  sixth  century 
of  the  Hegira;  the  twelfth  of  the  Christian  Era. 
Ahmed  was  the  son  of  the  Alcayde  of  Alcala  la  Real. 
His  father  designed  him  for  public  and  military  life, 
and  would  have  made  him  his  lieutenant ;  but  the  youth 
was  of  a  poetical  temperament,  and  preferred  a  life  of 
lettered  ease  in  the  delightful  abodes  of  Granada. 
Here  he  surrounded  himself  by  objects  of  taste  in  the 
arts,  and  by  the  works  of  the  learned ;  he  divided  his 
time  between  study  and  social  enjoyment.  He  was 
fond  of  the  sports  of  the  field,  and  kept  horses,  hawks, 
and  hounds.  He  devoted  himself  to  literature,  became 
renowned  for  erudition,  and  his  compositions  in  prose 


352  THE  ALHAMBRA 

and  verse  were  extolled  for  their  beauty,  and  in  the 
mouths  of  every  one. 

Of  a  tender,  susceptible  heart,,  and  extremely  sen 
sible  to  female  charms,  he  became  the  devoted  lover  of 
Hafsah.  The  passion  was  mutual,  and  for  once  the 
course  of  true  love  appeared  to  run  smooth.  The  lovers 
were  both  young,  equal  in  merit,  fame,  rank,  and  for 
tune,  enamored  of  each  other's  genius  as  well  as  per 
son,  and  inhabiting  a  region  formed  to  be  a  realm  of 
love  and  poetry.  A  poetical  intercourse  was  carried  on 
between  them  that  formed  the  delight  of  Granada. 
They  were  continually  interchanging  verses  and  epistles ; 
"  the  poetry  of  which,"  says  the  Arabian  writer,  Al 
Makkari,  "  was  like  the  language  of  doves." 

In  the  height  of  their  happiness  a  change  took  place 
in  the  government  of  Granada.  It  was  the  time  when 
the  Almohades,  a  Berber  tribe  of  Mount  Atlas,  had 
acquired  the  control  of  Moslem  Spain,  and  removed 
the  seat  of  government  from  Cordova  to  Morocco. 
The  Sultan  Abdelmuman  governed  Spain  through  his 
Walis  and  Alcaydes;  and  his  son,  Sidi  Abu  Said,  was 
made  Wali  of  Granada.  He  governed  in  his  father's 
name  with  royal  state  and  splendor,  and  with  despotic 
sway.  Being  a  stranger  in  the  country,  and  a  Moor 
by  birth,  he  sought  to  strengthen  himself  by  drawing 
round  him  popular  persons  of  the  Arab  race ;  and  to 
this  effect  made  Ahmed,  who  was  then  in  the  zenith 
of  his  fame  and  popularity,  his  vizier.  Ahmed  would 
have  declined  the  post,  but  the  Wali  was  peremptory. 
Its  duties  were  irksome  to  him,  and  he  spurned  at  its 
restraint.  On  a  hawking-party,  with  some  of  his  gay 
companions,  he  gave  way  to  his  poetic  vein,  exulting 
in  his  breaking  away  from  the  thraldom  of  a  despotic 
master  like  a  hawk  from  the  jesses  of  the  falconer,  to 
follow  the  soaring  impulses  of  his  soul. 

His  words  were  repeated  to  Sidi  Abu  Said.  "  Ah 
med,"  said  the  informant,  "  spurns  at  restraint  and 


POETS  AND  POETRY  OF  ANDALUS     353 

scoffs  at  thy  authority."  The  poet  was  instantly  dis 
missed  from  office.  The  loss  of  an  irksome  post  was 
no  grievance  to  one  of  his  joyous  temperament;  but 
he  soon  discovered  the  real  cause  of  his  removal.  The 
Wali  was  his  rival.  He  had  seen  and  become  enamored 
of  Hafsah.  What  was  worse,  Hafsah  was  dazzled 
with  the  conquest  she  had  made. 

For  a  time  Ahmed  treated  the  matter  with  ridicule; 
and  appealed  to  the  prejudice  existing  between  the  Arab 
and  Moorish  races.  Sidi  Abu  Said  was  of  a  dark  olive 
complexion.  "  How  canst  thou  endure  that  black 
man?"  said  he,  scornfully.  "By  Allah,  for  twenty 
dinars  I  can  buy  thee  a  better  than  he  in  the  slave- 
market." 

The  scoff  reached  the  ears  of  Sidi  Abu  Said  and 
rankled  in  his  heart. 

At  other  times  Ahmed  gave  way  to  grief  and  tender 
ness,  recalling  past  scenes  of  happiness,  reproaching 
Hafsah  with  her  inconstancy,  and  warning  her  in  de 
spairing  accents  that  she  would  be  the  cause  of  his 
death.  His  words  were  unheeded.  The  idea  of  having 
the  son  of  the  Sultan  for  a  lover  had  captivated  the 
imagination  of  the  poetess. 

Maddened  by  jealousy  and  despair,  Ahmed  joined 
in  a  conspiracy  against  the  ruling  dynasty.  It  was 
discovered,  and  the  conspirators  fled  from  Granada. 
Some  escaped  to  a  castle  on  the  mountains,  Ahmed  took 
refuge  in  Malaga,  where  he  concealed  himself,  intend 
ing  to  embark  for  Valencia.  He  was  discovered, 
loaded  with  chains,  and  thrown  into  a  dungeon,  to 
abide  the  decision  of  Sidi  Abu  Said. 

He  was  visited  in  prison  by  a  nephew,  who  has  left 
on  record  an  account  of  the  interview.  The  youth  was 
moved  to  tears  at  seeing  his  illustrious  relative,  late 
so  prosperous  and  honored,  fettered  like  a  malefactor. 

"  Why  dost  thou  weep  ?  "  said  Ahmed.  "  Are  these 
tears  shed  for  me?  For  me,  who  have  enjoyed  all  that 

23 


354  THE  ALHAMBRA 

the  world  could  give?  Weep  not  for  me.  I  have  had 
my  share  of  happiness;  banqueted  on  the  daintiest 
fare;  quaffed  out  of  crystal  cups;  slept  on  beds  of 
down ;  been  arrayed  in  the  richest  silks  and  brocades ; 
ridden  the  fleetest  steeds ;  enjoyed  the  loves  of  the  fair 
est  maidens.  Weep  not  for  me.  My  present  reverse 
is  but  the  inevitable  course  of  fate.  I  have  committed 
acts  which  render  pardon  hopeless.  I  must  await  my 
punishment." 

His  presentiment  was  correct.  The  vengeance  of 
Sidi  Abu  Said  was  only  to  be  satisfied  by  the  blood  of 
his  rival,  and  the  unfortunate  Ahmed  was  beheaded  at 
Malaga,  in  the  month  Jumadi,  in  the  year  559  of  the 
Hegira  (April,  1164).  When  the  news  was  brought 
to  the  fickle-hearted  Hafsah,  she  was  struck  with  sor 
row  and  remorse,  and  put  on  mourning;  recalling  his 
warning  words,  and  reproaching  herself  with  being  the 
cause  of  his  death. 

Of  the  after  fortunes  of  Hafsah  I  have  no  further 
trace  than  that  she  died  in  Morocco,  in  1184,  outliving 
both  her  lovers,  for  Sidi  Abu  Said  died  in  Morocco  of 
the  plague  in  1175.  A  memorial  of  his  residence  in 
Granada  remained  in  a  palace  which  he  built  on  the 
banks  of  the  Xenil.  The  garden  of  Maumal,  the  scene 
of  the  early  lives  of  Ahmed  and  Hafsah,  is  no  longer 
in  existence.  Its  site  may  be  found  by  the  antiquary 
in  poetical  research.1 

1  The  authorities  for  the  foregoing :  Alcantara,  Hist.  Granada ; 
Al  Makkari,  Hist.  Mohamed ;  Dynasties  in  Spain,  B.  ii.  c.  3 ;  Notes 
and  illustrations  of  the  same,  by  Gayangos,  Vol.  I.  p.  440;  Ibnu 
Al  Kahttib,  Biograph.  Die.,  cited  by  Gayangos;  Conde,  Hist.  Dom. 
Arab. 


355 


AN  EXPEDITION  IN  QUEST  OF 
A   DIPLOMA 

ONE  of  the  most  important  occurrences  in  the  do 
mestic  life  of  the  Alhambra,  was  the  departure  of 
Manuel,  the  nephew  of  Doiia  Antonia,  for  Malaga,  to 
stand  examination  as  a  physician.  I  have  already  in 
formed  the  reader  that,  on  his  success  in  obtaining  a 
degree  depended  in  a  great  measure  the  union  and 
future  fortunes  of  himself  and  his  cousin  Dolores;  at 
least  so  I  was  privately  informed  by  Mateo  Ximenes, 
and  various  circumstances  concurred  to  corroborate  his 
information.  Their  courtship,  however,  was  carried  on 
very  quietly  and  discreetly,  and  I  scarce  think  I  should 
have  discovered  it,  if  I  had  not  been  put  on  the  alert 
by  the  all-observant  Mateo. 

In  the  present  instance,  Dolores  was  less  on  the  re 
serve,  and  had  busied  herself  for  several  days  in  fitting 
out  honest  Manuel  for  his  expedition.  All  his  clothes 
had  been  arranged  and  packed  in  the  neatest  order,  and 
above  all  she  had  worked  a  smart  Andalusian  travelling- 
jacket,  for  him  with  her  own  hands.  On  the  morning 
appointed  for  his  departure,  a  stout  mule  on  which  he 
was  to  perform  the  journey  was  paraded  at  the  portal 
of  the  Alhambra,  and  Tio  Polo  (Uncle  Polo),  an  old 
invalid  soldier,  attended  to  caparison  him.  This  vet 
eran  was  one  of  the  curiosities  of  the  place.  He  had 
a  leathern  lantern  visage,  tanned  in  the  tropics,  a  long 
Roman  nose,  and  a  black  beetle  eye.  I  had  frequently 
observed  him  reading,  apparently  with  intense  inter 
est,  an  old  parchment-bound  volume;  sometimes  he 
would  be  surrounded  by  a  group  of  his  brother  in 
valids  ;  some  seated  on  the  parapets,  some  lying  on  the 


356  THE  ALHAMBRA 

grass,  listening  with  fixed  attention,  while  he  read 
slowly  and  deliberately  out  of  his  favorite  work,  some 
times  pausing  to  explain  or  expound  for  the  benefit  of 
his  less  enlightened  auditors. 

I  took  occasion  one  day  to  inform  myself  of  this 
ancient  book,  which  appeared  to  be  his  vade  mecum, 
and  found  it  to  be  an  odd  volume  of  the  works  of 
Padre  Benito  Geronymo  Feyjoo;  and  that  one  which 
treats  about  the  Magic  of  Spain,  the  mysterious  caves 
of  Salamanca  and  Toledo,  the  Purgatory  of  San 
Patricio  (St.  Patrick),  and  other  mystic  subjects  of 
the  kind.  From  that  time  I  kept  my  eye  upon  the 
veteran. 

On  the  present  occasion  I  amused  myself  with  watch 
ing  him  fit  out  the  steed  of  Manuel  with  all  the  fore 
cast  of  an  old  campaigner.  First  he  took  a  considerable 
time  in  adjusting  to  the  back  of  the  mule  a  cumbrous 
saddle  of  antique  fashion,  high  in  front  and  behind, 
with  Moorish  stirrups  like  shovels;  the  whole  look 
ing  like  a  relic  of  the  old  armory  of  the  Alham- 
bra;  then  a  fleecy  sheep-skin  was  accommodated  to 
the  deep  seat  of  the  saddle;  then  a  maleta,  neatly 
packed  by  the  hand  of  Dolores,  was  buckled  behind; 
then  a  manta  was  thrown  over  it  to  serve  either  as 
cloak  or  couch;  then  the  all-important  alforjas,  care 
fully  stocked  with  provant,  were  hung  in  front,  to 
gether  with  the  bota,  or  leathern  bottle  for  either  wine 
or  water,  and  lastly  the  trabucho,  which  the  old  soldier 
slung  behind,  giving  it  his  benediction.  It  was  like 
the  fitting  out  in  old  times  of  a  Moorish  cavalier  for 
a  foray  or  a  joust  in  the  Vivarrambla.  A  number  of 
the  lazzaroni  of  the  fortress  had  gathered  round,  with 
some  of  the  invalids,  all  looking  on,  all  offering  their 
aid,  and  all  giving  advice,  to  the  great  annoyance  of 
Tio  Polo. 

When  all  was  ready  Manuel  took  leave  of  the  house 
hold  ;  Tio  Polo  held  his  stirrup  while  he  mounted,  ad- 


IN  QUEST  OF  A  DIPLOMA  357 

justed  the  girths  and  saddle,  and  cheered  him  off  in 
military  style ;  then  turning  to  Dolores,  who  stood  ad 
miring  her  cavalier  as  he  trotted  off,  "  Ah  Dolorocita," 
exclaimed  he,  with  a  nod  and  a  wink,  "  es  muy  guapo 
Manuelito  in  su  Xaqueta,"  (Ah  Dolores,  Manuel  is 
mighty  fine  in  his  jacket.)  The  little  damsel  blushed 
and  laughed,  and  ran  into  the  house. 

Days  elapsed  without  tidings  from  Manuel,  though 
he  had  promised  to  write.  The  heart  of  Dolores  be 
gan  to  misgive  her.  Had  anything  happened  to  him 
on  the  road?  Had  he  failed  in  his  examination?  A 
circumstance  occurred  in  her  little  household  to  add 
to  her  uneasiness  and  fill  her  mind  with  foreboding. 
It  was  almost  equal  to  the  escapado  of  her  pigeon.  Her 
tortoise-shell  cat  eloped  at  night  and  clambered  to  the 
tiled  roof  of  the  Alhambra.  In  the  dead  of  the  night 
there  was  a  fearful  caterwauling;  some  grimalkin  was 
uncivil  to  her;  then  there  was  a  scramble;  then  a 
clapper-clawing;  then  both  parties  rolled  off  the  roof 
and  tumbled  from  a  great  height  among  the  trees  on 
the  hill-side.  Nothing  more  was  seen  or  heard  of  the 
fugitive,  and  poor  Dolores  considered  it  but  the  pre 
lude  to  greater  calamities. 

At  the  end  of  ten  days,  however,  Manuel  returned 
in  triumph,  duly  authorized  to  kill  or  cure;  and  all 
Dolores'  cares  were  over.  There  was  a  general  gather 
ing  in  the  evening  of  the  humble  friends  and  hangers- 
on  of  Dame  Antonio  to  congratulate  her  and  to  pay 
their  respects  to  cl  Senor  Medico,  who,  peradventure, 
at  some  future  day,  might  have  all  their  lives  in  his 
hands.  One  of  the  most  important  of  these  guests 
was  old  Tio  Polo ;  and  I  gladly  seized  the  occasion  to 
prosecute  my  acquaintance  with  him.  "  Oh  Senor," 
cried  Dolores,  "  you  who  are  so  eager  to  learn  all  the 
old  histories  of  the  Alhambra,  Tio  Polo  knows  more 
about  them  than  any  one  else  about  the  place.  More 
than  Mateo  Ximenes  and  his  whole  family  put  to- 


358  THE  ALHAMBRA 

gather."  Vaya  —  Vaya  —  Tio  Polo,  tell  the  Senor  all 
those  stories  you  told  us  one  evening,  about  enchanted 
Moors,  and  the  haunted  bridge  over  the  Darro,  and 
the  old  stone  pomegranates,  that  have  been  there  since 
the  days  of  King  Chico. 

It  was  some  time  before  the  old  invalid  could  be 
brought  into  a  narrative  vein.  He  shook  his  head  — 
they  were  all  idle  tales ;  not  worthy  of  being  told  to  a 
cavallero  like  myself.  It  was  only  by  telling  some 
stories  of  the  kind  myself  I  at  last  got  him  to  open 
his  budget.  It  was  a  whimsical  farrago,  partly  made 
up  of  what  he  had  heard  in  the  Alhambra,  partly  of 
what  he  had  read  in  Padre  Feyjoo.  I  will  endeavor  to 
give  the  reader  the  substance  of  it,  but  I  will  not 
promise  to  give  it  in  the  very  words  of  Tio  Polo. 


THE    LEGEND    OF   THE    ENCHANTED 
SOLDIER 

EVERYBODY  has  heard  of  the  Cave  of  St.  Cyprian  at 
Salamanca,  where  in  old  times  judicial  astronomy, 
necromancy,  chiromancy,  and  other  dark  and  damnable 
arts  were  secretly  taught  by  an  ancient  sacristan;  or, 
as  some  will  have  it,  by  the  devil  himself,  in  that  dis 
guise.  The  cave  has  long  been  shut  up  and  the  very 
site  of  it  forgotten;  though,  according  to  tradition, 
the  entrance  was  somewhere  about  where  the  stone 
cross  stands  in  the  small  square  of  the  seminary  of 
Carvajal;  and  this  tradition  appears  in  some  degree 
corroborated  by  the  circumstances  of  the  following 
story. 

There  was  at  one  time  a  student  of  Salamanca,  Don 
Vicente  by  name,  of  that  merry  but  mendicant  class, 
who  set  out  on  the  road  to  learning  without  a  penny 


THE  ENCHANTED  SOLDIER          359 

in  pouch  for  the  journey,  and  who,  during  college 
vacations,  beg  from  town  to  town  and  village  to  vil 
lage  to  raise  funds  to  enable  them  to  pursue  their 
studies  through  the  ensuing  term.  He  was  now  about 
to  set  forth  on  his  wanderings;  and  being  somewhat 
musical,  slung  on  his  back  a  guitar  with  which  to 
amuse  the  villagers,  and  pay  for  a  meal  or  a  night's 
lodgings. 

As  he  passed  by  the  stone  cross  in  the  seminary 
square,  he  pulled  off  his  hat  and  made  a  short  invoca 
tion  to  St.  Cyprian,  for  good  luck ;  when  casting  his 
eyes  upon  the  earth,  he  perceived  something  glitter  at 
the  foot  of  the  cross.  On  picking  it  up,  it  proved  to 
be  a  seal-ring  of  mixed  metal,  in  which  gold  and  silver 
appeared  to  be  blended.  The  seal  bore  as  a  device  two 
triangles  crossing  each  other,  so  as  to  form  a  star. 
This  device  is  said  to  be  a  cabalistic  sign,  invented  by 
King  Solomon  the  Wise,  and  of  mighty  power  in  all 
cases  of  enchantment;  but  the  honest  student,  being 
neither  sage  nor  conjurer,  knew  nothing  of  the  matter. 
He  took  the  ring  as  a  present  from  St.  Cyprian  in  re 
ward  of  his  prayer;  slipped  it  on  his  finger,  made  a 
bow  to  the  cross,  and  strumming  his  guitar,  set  off 
merrily  on  his  wandering. 

The  life  of  a  mendicant  student  in  Spain  is  not 
the  most  miserable  in  the  world;  especially  if  he  has 
any  talent  at  making  himself  agreeable.  He  rambles 
at  large  from  village  to  village,  and  city  to  city,  where- 
ever  curiosity  or  caprice  may  conduct  him.  The  coun 
try  curates,  who,  for  the  most  part,  have  been  mendi 
cant  students  in  their  time,  give  him  shelter  for  the 
night,  and  a  comfortable  meal,  and  often  enrich  him 
with  several  quartos,  or  halfpence  in  the  morning.  As 
he  presents  himself  from  door  to  door  in  the  streets 
of  the  cities,  he  meets  with  no  harsh  rebuff,  no  chilling 
contempt,  for  there  is  no  disgrace  attending  his  men 
dicity,  many  of  the  most  learned  men  in  Spain  having 


360  THE  ALHAMBRA 

commenced  their  career  in  this  manner;  but  if,  like  the 
student  in  question,  he  is  a  good-looking  varlet  and  a 
merry  companion;  and,  above  all,  if  he  can  play  the 
guitar,  he  is  sure  of  a  hearty  welcome  among  the 
peasants,  and  smiles  and  favors  from  their  wives  and 
daughters. 

In  this  way,  then,  did  our  ragged  and  musical  son 
of  learning  make  his  way  over  half  the  kingdom; 
with  the  fixed  determination  to  visit  the  famous  city 
of  Granada  before  his  return.  Sometimes  he  was 
gathered  for  the  night  into  the  fold  of  some  village 
pastor;  sometimes  he  was  sheltered  under  the  humble 
but  hospitable  roof  of  the  peasant.  Seated  at  the 
cottage-door  with  his  guitar,  he  delighted  the  simple 
folk  with  his  ditties;  or  striking  up  a  fandango  or 
bolero,  set  the  brown  country  lads  and  lasses  dancing 
in  the  mellow  twilight.  In  the  morning  he  departed 
with  kind  words  from  host  and  hostess,  and  kind  looks 
and,  peradventure,  a  squeeze  of  the  hand  from  the 
daughter. 

At  length  he  arrived  at  the  great  object  of  his  musi 
cal  vagabondizing,  the  far-famed  city  of  Granada,  and 
hailed  with  wonder  and  delight  its  Moorish  towers, 
its  lovely  Vega,  and  its  snowy  mountains  glistening 
through  a  summer  atmosphere.  It  is  needless  to  say 
with  what  eager  curiosity  he  entered  its  gates  and 
wandered  through  its  streets,  and  gazed  upon  its  Ori 
ental  monuments.  Every  female  face  peering  through 
a  window  or  beaming  from  a  balcony  was  to  him  a 
Zorayda  or  a  Zelinda,  nor  could  he  meet  a  stately  dame 
on  the  Alameda  but  he  was  ready  to  fancy  her  a  Moor 
ish  princess,  and  to  spread  his  student's  robe  beneath 
her  feet. 

His  musical  talent,  his  happy  humor,  his  youth  and 
his  good  looks,  won  him  a  universal  welcome  in  spite 
of  his  ragged  robes,  and  for  several  days  he  led  a  gay 
life  in  the  old  Moorish  capital  and  its  environs.  One 


THE  ENCHANTED  SOLDIER          361 

of  his  occasional  haunts  was  the  fountain  of  Avellanos, 
in  the  valley  of  Darro.  It  is  one  of  the  popular  re 
sorts  of  Granada,  and  has  been  so  since  the  days  of  the 
Moors;  and  here  the  student  had  an  opportunity  of 
pursuing  his  studies  of  female  beauty;  a  branch  of 
study  to  which  he  was  a  little  prone. 

Here  he  would  take  his  seat  with  his  guitar,  im 
provise  love-ditties  to  admiring  groups  of  majos  and 
majas,  or  prompt  with  his  music  the  ever-ready  dance. 
He  was  thus  engaged  one  evening  when  he  beheld  a 
padre  of  the  church  advancing,  at  whose  approach 
every  one  touched  the  hat.  He  was  evidently  a  man 
of  consequence;  he  certainly  was  a  mirror  of  good 
if  not  of  holy  living;  robust  and  rosy-faced,  and 
breathing  at  every  pore  with  the  warmth  of  the 
weather  and  the  exercise  of  the  walk.  As  he  passed 
along  he  would  every  now  and  then  draw  a  mara- 
vedi  out  of  his  pocket  and  bestow  it  on  a  beggar,  with 
an  air  of  signal  beneficence.  "  Ah,  the  blessed  father !  " 
would  be  the  cry;  "  long  life  to  him,  and  may  he  soon 
be  a  bishop!  " 

To  aid  his  steps  in  ascending  the  hill  he  leaned  gently 
now  and  then  on  the  arm  of  a  handmaid,  evidently  the 
pet-lamb  of  this  kindest  of  pastors.  Ah,  such  a  damsel ! 
Andalus  from  head  to  foot;  from  the  rose  in  her 
hair,  to  the  fairy  shoe  and  lacework  stocking;  Andalus 
in  every  movement ;  in  every  undulation  of  the  body : 
—  ripe,  melting  Andalus !  —  But  then  so  modest !  — 
so  shy !  —  ever,  with  downcast  eyes,  listening  to  the 
words  of  the  padre ;  or,  if  by  chance  she  let  flash  a  side- 
glance,  it  was  suddenly  checked  and  her  eyes  once  more 
cast  to  the  ground. 

The  good  padre  looked  benignantly  on  the  company 
about  the  fountain,  and  took  his  seat  with  some  em 
phasis  on  a  stone  bench,  while  the  handmaid  hastened 
to  bring  him  a  glass  of  sparkling  water.  He  sipped  it 
deliberately  and  with  a  relish,  tempering  it  with  one  of 


362  THE  ALHAMBRA 

those  spongy  pieces  of  frosted  eggs  and  sugar  so  dear 
to  Spanish  epicures,  and  on  returning  the  glass  to  the 
hand  of  the  damsel  pinched  her  cheek  with  infinite 
loving-kindness. 

"  Ah,  the  good  pastor !  "  whispered  the  student  to 
himself;  "what  a  happiness  w7ould  it  be  to  be 
gathered  into  his  fold  with  such  a  pet-lamb  for  a 
companion." 

But  no  such  good  fare  was  likely  to  befall  him.  In 
vain  he  essayed  those  powers  of  pleasing  which  he  had 
found  so  irresistible  with  country  curates  and  country 
lasses.  Never  had  he  touched  his  guitar  with  such  skill ; 
never  had  he  poured  forth  more  soul-moving  ditties, 
but  he  had  no  longer  a  country  curate  or  country  lass 
to  deal  with.  The  worthy  priest  evidently  did  not 
relish  music,  and  the  modest  damsel  never  raised  her 
eyes  from  the  ground.  They  remained  but  a  short 
time  at  the  fountain ;  the  good  padre  hastened  their  re 
turn  to  Granada.  The  damsel  gave  the  student  one 
shy  glance  in  retiring;  but  it  plucked  the  heart  out  of 
his  bosom! 

He  inquired  about  them  after  they  had  gone.  Padre 
Tomas  was  one  of  the  saints  of  Granada,  a  model  of 
regularity;  punctual  in  his  hour  of  rising;  his  hour 
of  taking  a  paseo  for  an  appetite;  his  hours  of  eating; 
his  hour  of  taking  his  siesta;  his  hour  of  playing  his 
game  of  tresillo,  of  an  evening,  with  some  of  the  dames 
of  the  Cathedral  circle;  his  hour  of  supping,  and  his 
hour  of  retiring  to  rest,  to  gather  fresh  strength  for 
another  day's  round  of  similar  duties.  He  had  an 
easy  sleek  mule  for  his  riding ;  a  matronly  housekeeper 
skilled  in  preparing  tit-bits  for  his  table;  and  the  pet- 
lamb,  to  smooth  his  pillow  at  night  and  bring  him  his 
chocolate  in  the  morning. 

Adieu  now  to  the  gay,  thoughtless  life  of  the  student ; 
the  side-glance  of  a  bright  eye  had  been  the  undoing  of 
him.  Day  and  night  he  could  not  get  the  image  of  this 


THE  ENCHANTED  SOLDIER          363 

most  modest  damsel  out  of  his  mind.  He  sought  the 
mansion  of  the  padre.  Alas !  it  was  above  the  class 
of  houses  accessible  to  a  strolling  student  like  himself. 
The  worthy  padre  had  no  sympathy  with  him ;  he  had 
never  been  Estudiante  sopista,  obliged  to  sing  for  his 
supper.  He  blockaded  the  house  by  day,  catching  a 
glance  of  the  damsel  now  and  then  as  she  appeared  at 
a  casement ;  but  these  glances  only  fed  his  flame  with 
out  encouraging  his  hope.  He  serenaded  her  balcony 
at  night,  and  at  one  time  was  flattered  by  the  appear 
ance  of  something  white  at  a  window.  Alas,  it  was 
only  the  night-cap  of  the  padre. 

Never  was  lover  more  devoted ;  never  damsel  more 
shy:  the  poor  student  was  reduced  to  despair.  At 
length  arrived  the  eve  of  St.  John,  when  the  lower 
classes  of  Granada  swarm  into  the  country,  dance  away 
the  afternoon,  and  pass  midsummer's  night  on  the 
banks  of  the  Darro  and  the  Xenil.  Happy  are  they 
who  on  this  eventful  night  can  wash  their  faces  in 
those  waters  just  as  the  Cathedral  bell  tells  midnight; 
for  at  that  precise  moment  they  have  a  beautifying 
power.  The  student,  having  nothing  to  do,  suffered 
himself  to  be  carried  away  by  the  holiday-seeking 
throng  until  he  found  himself  in  the  narrow  valley  of 
the  Darro,  below  the  lofty  hill  and  ruddy  towers  of 
the  Alhambra.  The  dry  bed  of  the  river;  the  rocks 
which  border  it ;  the  terraced  gardens  which  overhang 
it  were  alive  with  variegated  groups,  dancing  under  the 
vines  and  fig-trees  to  the  sound  of  the  guitar  and 
castanets. 

The  student  remained  for  some  time  in  doleful 
dumps,  leaning  against  one  of  the  huge  misshapen 
stone  pomegranates  which  adorn  the  ends  of  the  little 
bridge  over  the  Darro.  He  cast  a  wistful  glance  upon 
the  merry  scene,  where  every  cavalier  had  his  dame; 
or,  to  speak  more  appropriately,  every  Jack  his  Jill ; 
sighed  at  his  own  solitary  state,  a  victim  to  the  black 


364  THE  ALHAMBRA 

eye  of  the  most  unapproachable  of  damsels,  and  re 
pined  at  his  ragged  garb,  which  seemed  to  shut  the 
gate  of  hope  against  him. 

By  degrees  his  attention  was  attracted  to  a  neighbor 
equally  solitary  with  himself.  This  was  a  tall  soldier, 
of  a  stern  aspect  and  grizzled  beard,  who  seemed 
posted  as  a  sentry  at  the  opposite  pomegranate.  His 
face  was  bronzed  by  time;  he  was  arrayed  in  ancient 
Spanish  armor,  with  buckler  and  lance,  and  stood  im 
movable  as  a  statue.  What  surprised  the  student  was, 
that  though  thus  strangely  equipped,  he  was  totally 
unnoticed  by  the  passing  throng,  albeit  that  many 
almost  brushed  against  him. 

"  This  is  a  city  of  old  time  peculiarities,"  thought 
the  student,  "  and  doubtless  this  is  one  of  them  with 
which  the  inhabitants  are  too  familiar  to  be  surprised." 
His  own  curiosity,  however,  was  awakened,  and  being 
of  a  social  disposition,  he  accosted  the  soldier. 

"  A  rare  old  suit  of  armor  that  which  you  wear, 
comrade.  May  I  ask  what  corps  you  belong  to?" 

The  soldier  gasped  out  a  reply  from  a  pair  of  jaws 
which  seemed  to  have  rusted  on  their  hinges. 

"  The  royal  guard  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella." 

"  Santa  Maria !  Why,  it  is  three  centuries  since 
that  corps  was  in  service." 

"  And  for  three  centuries  have  I  been  mounting 
guard.  Now  I  trust  my  tour  of  duty  draws  to  a  close. 
Dost  thou  desire  fortune?  " 

The  student  held  up  his  tattered  cloak  in  reply. 

"  I  understand  thee.  If  thou  hast  faith  and  courage, 
follow  me,  and  thy  fortune  is  made." 

"  Softly,  comrade,  to  follow  thee  would  require 
small  courage  in  one  who  has  nothing  to  lose  but  life 
and  an  old  guitar,  neither  of  much  value ;  but  my  faith 
is  of  a  different  matter,  and  not  to  be  put  in  tempta 
tion.  If  it  be  any  criminal  act  by  which  I  am  to  mend 
my  fortune,  think  not  my  ragged  cloak  will  make  me 
undertake  it." 


THE  ENCHANTED  SOLDIER          365 

The  soldier  turned  on  him  a  look  of  high  displeasure. 
"  My  sword,"  said  he,  "  has  never  been  drawn  but  in 
the  cause  of  the  faith  and  the  throne.  I  am  a  Cristiano 
vie  jo;  trust  in  me  and  fear  no  evil." 

The  student  followed  him  wondering.  He  observed 
that  no  one  heeded  their  conversation,  and  that  the  sol 
dier  made  his  way  through  the  various  groups  of  idlers 
unnoticed,  as  if  invisible. 

Crossing  the  bridge,  the  soldier  led  the  way  by  a 
narrow  and  steep  path  past  a  Moorish  mill  and  aque 
duct,  and  up  the  ravine  which  separates  the  domains 
of  the  Generalife  from  those  of  the  Alhambra.  The 
last  ray  of  the  sun  shone  upon  the  red  battlements  of 
the  latter,  which  beetled  far  above;  and  the  convent- 
bells  were  proclaiming  the  festival  of  the  ensuing  day. 
The  ravine  was  overshadowed  by  fig-trees,  vines,  and 
myrtles,  and  the  outer  towers  and  walls  of  the  fortress. 
It  was  dark  and  lonely,  and  the  twilight-loving  bats 
began  to  flit  about.  At  length  the  soldier  halted  at  a 
remote  and  ruined  tower,  apparently  intended  to  guard 
a  Moorish  aqueduct.  He  struck  the  foundation  with 
the  but-end  of  his  spear.  A  rumbling  sound  was  heard, 
and  the  solid  stones  yawned  apart,  leaving  an  opening 
as  wide  as  a  door. 

"  Enter  in  the  name  of  the  Holy  Trinity,"  said  the 
soldier,  "  and  fear  nothing."  The  student's  heart 
quaked,  but  he  made  the  sign  of  the  cross,  muttered 
his  Ave  Maria,  and  followed  his  mysterious  guide 
into  a  deep  vault  cut  out  of  the  solid  rock  under  the 
tower,  and  covered  with  Arabic  inscriptions.  The 
soldier  pointed  to  a  stone  seat  hewn  along  one  side  of 
the  vault.  "  Behold,"  said  he,  "  my  couch  for  three 
hundred  years."  The  bewildered  student  tried  to  force 
a  joke.  "  By  the  blessed  St.  Anthony,"  said  he,  "  but 
you  must  have  slept  soundly,  considering  the  hardness 
of  your  couch." 

"  On  the  contrary,  sleep  has  been  a  stranger  to  these 


366  THE  ALHAMBRA 

eyes ;  incessant  watchfulness  has  been  my  doom.  Lis 
ten  to  my  lot.  I  was  one  of  the  royal  guards  of  Ferdi 
nand  and  Isabella;  but  was  taken  prisoner  by  the 
Moors  in  one  of  their  sorties,  and  confined  a  captive  in 
this  tower.  When  preparations  were  made  to  surren 
der  the  fortress  to  the  Christian  sovereigns,  I  was  pre 
vailed  upon  by  an  Alfaqui,  a  Moorish  priest,  to  aid 
him  in  secreting  some  of  the  treasures  of  Boabdil  in 
this  vault.  I  was  justly  punished  for  my  fault.  The 
Alfaqui  was  an  African  necromancer,  and  by  his  in 
fernal  arts  cast  a  spell  upon  me  —  to  guard  his  treas 
ures.  Something  must  have  happened  to  him,  for  he 
never  returned,  and  here  have  I  remained  ever  since, 
buried  alive.  Years  and  years  have  rolled  away; 
earthquakes  have  shaken  this  hill;  I  have  heard  stone 
by  stone  of  the  tower  above  tumbling  to  the  ground, 
in  the  natural  operation  of  time;  but  the  spell-bound 
walls  of  this  vault  set  both  time  and  earthquakes  at 
defiance. 

"  Once  every  hundred  years,  on  the  festival  of  St. 
John,  the  enchantment  ceases  to  have  thorough  sway; 
I  am  permitted  to  go  forth  and  post  myself  upon  the 
bridge  of  the  Darro,  where  you  met  me,  waiting  until 
some  one  shall  arrive  who  may  have  power  to  break 
this  magic  spell.  I  have  hitherto  mounted  guard  there 
in  vain.  I  walk  as  in  a  cloud,  concealed  from  mortal 
sight.  You  are  the  first  to  accost  me  for  now  three 
hundred  years.  I  behold  the  reason.  I  see  on  your 
finger  the  seal-ring  of  Solomon  the  Wise,  which  is 
proof  against  all  enchantment.  With  you  it  re 
mains  to  deliver  me  from  this  awful  dungeon,  or 
to  leave  me  to  keep  guard  here  for  another  hundred 
years." 

The  student  listened  to  this  tale  in  mute  wonderment. 
He  had  heard  many  tales  of  treasures  shut  up  under 
strong  enchantment  in  the  vaults  of  the  Alhambra,  but 
had  treated  them  as  fables.  He  now  felt  the  value 


THE  ENCHANTED  SOLDIER  367 

of  the  seal-ring,  which  had,  in  a  manner,  been  given 
to  him  by  St.  Cyprian.  Still,  though  armed  by  so 
potent  a  talisman,  it  was  an  awful  thing  to  find  himself 
tete-a-tcte  in  such  a  place  with  an  enchanted  soldier, 
who,  according  to  the  laws  of  nature,  ought  to  have 
been  quietly  in  his  grave  for  nearly  three  centuries. 

A  personage  of  this  kind,  however,  was  quite  out 
of  the  ordinary  run,  and  not  to  be  trifled  with,  and 
he  assured  him  he  might  rely  upon  his  friendship 
and  good  will  to  do  everything  in  his  power  for  his 
deliverance. 

"  I  trust  to  a  motive  more  powerful  than  friend 
ship,"  said  the  soldier. 

He  pointed  to  a  ponderous  iron  coffer,  secured  by 
locks  inscribed  with  Arabic  characters.  "  That  coffer," 
said  he,  "  contains  countless  treasure  in  gold  and  jewels 
and  precious  stones.  Break  the  magic  spell  by  which 
I  am  enthralled,  and  one  half  of  this  treasure  shall  be 
thine." 

"  But  how  am  I  to  do  it  ?  " 

"  The  aid  of  a  Christian  priest  and  a  Christian  maid 
is  necessary.  The  priest  to  exorcise  the  powers  of 
darkness ;  the  damsel  to  touch  this  chest  with  the  seal 
of  Solomon.  This  must  be  done  at  night.  But  have 
a  care.  This  is  solemn  work,  and  not  to  be  effected 
by  the  carnal-minded.  The  priest  must  be  a  Cristiano 
vie  jo,  a  model  of  sanctity;  and  must  mortify  the  flesh 
before  he  comes  here,  by  a  rigorous  fast  of  four-and- 
tvventy  hours :  and  as  to  the  maiden,  she  must  be  above 
reproach,  and  proof  against  temptation.  Linger  not 
in  finding  such  aid.  In  three  days  my  furlough  is  at 
an  end;  if  not  delivered  before  midnight  of  the  third, 
I  shall  have  to  mount  guard  for  another  century." 

"  Fear  not,"  said  the  student,  "  I  have  in  my  eye 
the  very  priest  and  damsel  you  describe ;  but  how  am 
I  to  regain  admission  to  this  tower?" 

"  The  seal  of  Solomon  will  open  the  way  for  thee." 


368  THE  ALHAMBRA 

The  student  issued  forth  from  the  tower  much  more 
gayly  than  he  had  entered.  The  wall  closed  behind 
him,  and  remained  solid  as  before. 

The  next  morning  he  repaired  boldly  to  the  man 
sion  of  the  priest,  no  longer  a  poor  strolling  student, 
thrumming  his  way  with  a  guitar ;  but  an  ambassador 
from  the  shadowy  world,  with  enchanted  treasures  to 
bestow.  No  particulars  are  told  of  his  negotiation, 
excepting  that  the  zeal  of  the  worthy  priest  was  easily 
kindled  at  the  idea  of  rescuing  an  old  soldier  of  the 
faith  and  a  strong  box  of  King  Chico  from  the  very 
clutches  of  Satan;  and  then  what  alms  might  be 
dispensed,  what  churches  built,  and  how  many  poor 
relatives  enriched  with  the  Moorish  treasure ! 

As  to  the  immaculate  handmaid,  she  was  ready  to 
lend  her  hand,  which  was  all  that  was  required,  to 
the  pious  work;  and  if  a  shy  glance  now  and  then 
might  be  believed,  the  ambassador  began  to  find  favor 
in  her  modest  eyes. 

The  greatest  difficulty,  however,  was  the  fast  to 
which  the  good  padre  had  to  subject  himself.  Twice 
he  attempted  it,  and  twice  the  flesh  was  too  strong  for 
the  spirit.  It  was  only  on  the  third  day  that  he  was 
enabled  to  withstand  the  temptations  of  the  cupboard ; 
but  it  was  still  a  question  whether  he  would  hold  out 
until  the  spell  was  broken. 

At  a  late  hour  of  the  night  the  party  groped  their 
way  up  the  ravine  by  the  light  of  a  lantern,  and  bear 
ing  a  basket  with  provisions  for  exorcising  the  demon 
of  hunger  so  soon  as  the  other  demons  should  be  laid 
in  the  Red  Sea. 

The  seal  of  Solomon  opened  their  way  into  the 
tower.  They  found  the  soldier  seated  on  the  enchanted 
strong  box,  awaiting  their  arrival.  The  exorcism  was 
performed  in  due  style.  The  damsel  advanced  and 
touched  the  locks  of  the  coffer  with  the  seal  of  Solo 
mon.  The  lid  flew  open;  and  such  treasures  of  gold 


THE  ENCHANTED  SOLDIER          369 

and  jewels  and  precious  stones  as  flashed  upon  the 
eye! 

"Here's  cut  and  come  again!"  cried  the  student, 
exultingly,  as  he  proceeded  to  cram  his  pockets. 

"  Fairly  and  softly,"  exclaimed  the  soldier.  "  Let 
us  get  the  coffer  out  entire,  and  then  divide." 

They  accordingly  went  to  work  with  might  and 
main ;  but  it  was  a  difficult  task ;  the  chest  was  enor 
mously  heavy,  and  had  been  embedded  there  for  cen 
turies.  While  they  were  thus  employed  the  good 
dominie  drew  on  one  side  and  made  a  vigorous  on 
slaught  on  the  basket,  by  way  of  exorcising  the  demon 
of  hunger  which  was  raging  in  his  entrails.  In  a  little 
while  a  fat  capon  was  devoured,  and  washed  down  by 
a  deep  potation  of  Val  de  pefias ;  and,  by  way  of  grace 
after  meat,  he  gave  a  kind-hearted  kiss  to  the  pet-lamb 
who  waited  on  him.  It  was  quietly  done  in  a  corner, 
but  the  tell-tale  walls  babbled  it  forth  as  if  in  triumph. 
Never  was  chaste  salute  more  awful  in  its  effects.  At 
the  sound  the  soldier  gave  a  great  cry  of  despair;  the 
coffer,  which  was  half  raised,  fell  back  in  its  place 
and  was  locked  once  more.  Priest,  student,  and  dam 
sel  found  themselves  outside  of  the  tower,  the  wall 
of  which  closed  with  a  thundering  jar.  Alas!  the 
good  padre  had  broken  his  fast  too  soon! 

When  recovered  from  his  surprise,  the  student 
would  have  reentered  the  tower,  but  learnt  to  his  dis 
may  that  the  damsel,  in  her  fright,  had  let  fall  the  seal 
of  Solomon;  it  remained  within  the  vault. 

In  a  word,  the  cathedral-bell  tolled  midnight ;  the 
spell  was  renewed;  the  soldier  was  doomed  to  mount 
guard  for  another  hundred  years,  and  there  he  and  the 
treasure  remain  to  this  day  —  and  all  because  the  kind- 
hearted  padre  kissed  his  housemaid.  "  Ah  father ! 
father!"  said  the  student,  shaking  his  head  ruefully, 
as  they  returned  down  the  ravine,  "  I  fear  there  was 
less  of  the  saint  than  the  sinner  in  that  kiss ! " 

24 


370  THE  ALHAMBRA 

Thus  ends  the  legend  as  far  as  it  has  been  authenti 
cated.  There  is  a  tradition,  however,  that  the  student 
had  brought  off  treasure  enough  in  his  pocket  to  set 
him  up  in  the  world;  that  he  prospered  in  his  affairs, 
that  the  worthy  padre  gave  him  the  pet-lamb  in  mar 
riage,  by  way  of  amends  for  the  blunder  in  the  vault ; 
that  the  immaculate  damsel  proved  a  pattern  for  wives 
as  she  had  been  for  handmaids,  and  bore  her  husband 
a  numerous  progeny;  that  the  first  was  a  wonder;  it 
was  born  seven  months  after  her  marriage,  and  though 
a  seven-months'  boy,  was  the  sturdiest  of  the  flock. 
The  rest  were  all  born  in  the  ordinary  course  of  time. 

The  story  of  the  enchanted  soldier  remains  one  of 
the  popular  traditions  of  Granada,  though  told  in  a 
variety  of  ways;  the  common  people  affirm  that  he 
still  mounts  guard  on  mid-summer  eve,  beside  the 
gigantic  stone  pomegranate  on  the  Bridge  of  the 
Darro;  but  remains  invisible  excepting  to  such  lucky 
mortal  as  may  possess  the  seal  of  Solomon. 

NOTES   TO   THE  ENCHANTED   SOLDIER 

Among  the  ancient  superstitions  of  Spain,  were  those  of  the  ex 
istence  of  profound  caverns  in  which  the  magic  arts  were  taught, 
either  by  the  devil  in  person,  or  some  sage  devoted  to  his  service. 
One  of  the  most  famous  of  these  caves  was  at  Salamanca.  Don 
Francisco  de  Torreblanca  makes  mention  of  it  in  the  first  book  of 
his  work  on  magic,  C.  2,  No.  4.  The  devil  was  said  to  play  the 
part  of  Oracle  there;  giving  replies  to  those  who  repaired  thither 
to  propound  fateful  questions,  as  in  the  celebrated  cave  of  Tro- 
phonius.  Don  Francisco,  though  he  records  this  story,  does  not 
put  faith  in  it :  he  gives  it  however  as  certain,  that  a  Sacristan, 
named  Clement  Potosi,  taught  secretly  the  magic  arts  in  that  cave. 
Padre  Feyjoo,  who  inquired  into  the  matter,  reports  it  as  a  vulgar 
belief,  that  the  devil  himself  taught  those  arts  there;  admitting 
only  seven  disciples  at  a  time,  one  of  whom,  to  be  determined  by 
lot,  was  to  be  devoted  to  him  body  and  soul  forever.  Among  one 
of  these  sets  of  students  was  a  young  man,  son  of  the  Marquis  de 
Villena,  on  whom,  after  having  accomplished  his  studies,  the  lot 
fell.  He  succeeded,  however,  in  cheating  the  devil,  leaving  him  his 
shadow  instead  of  his  body. 

Don  Juan  de  Dios,  Professor  of  Humanities  in  the  University, 
in  the  early  part  of  the  last  century,  gives  the  following  version 


THE  ENCHANTED  SOLDIER  371 

of  the  story,  extracted,  as  he  says,  from  an  ancient  manuscript. 
It  will  be  perceived  he  has  marred  the  supernatural  part  of  the 
tale,  and  ejected  the  devil  from  it  altogether. 

As  to  the  fable  of  the  Cave  of  San  Cyprian,  says  he,  all  that  we 
have  been  able  to  verify  is,  that  where  the  stone  cross  stands,  in 
the  small  square  or  place  called  by  the  name  of  the  Seminary  of 
Carvajal,  there  was  the  parochial  church  of  San  Cyprian.  A  de 
scent  of  twenty  steps  led  down  to  a  subterranean  Sacristy,  spacious 
and  vaulted  like  a  cave.  Here  a  Sacristan  once  taught  magic, 
judicial  astrology,  geomancy,  hydromancy,  pyromancy,  acromancy, 
chiromancy,  necromancy,  &c. 

The  extract  goes  on  to  state  that  seven  students  engaged  at  a 
time  with  the  Sacristan,  at  a  fixed  stipend.  Lots  were  cast  among 
them  which  one  of  their  number  should  pay  for  the  whole,  with 
the  understanding  that  he  on  whom  the  lot  fell,  if  he  did  not  pay 
promptly,  should  be  detained  in  a  chamber  of  the  Sacristy  until 
the  funds  were  forthcoming.  This  became  thenceforth  the  usual 
practice. 

On  one  occasion  the  lot  fell  on  Henry  de  Villena,  son  of  the 
marquis  of  the  same  name.  He  having  perceived  that  there  had 
been  trick  and  shuffling  in  the  casting  of  the  lot,  and  suspecting  the 
Sacristan  to  be  cognizant  thereof,  refused  to  pay.  He  was  forth 
with  left  in  limbo.  It  so  happened,  that  in  a  dark  corner  of  the 
Sacristy  was  a  huge  jar  or  earthen  reservoir  for  water,  which  was 
cracked  and  empty.  In  this  the  youth  contrived  to  conceal  him 
self.  The  Sacristan  returned  at  night  with  a  servant,  bringing 
lights  and  a  supper.  Unlocking  the  door,  they  found  no  one  in 
the  vault,  and  a  book  of  magic  lying  open  on  the  table.  They  re 
treated  in  dismay,  leaving  the  door  open,  by  which  Villena  made 
his  escape.  The  story  went  about  that  through  magic  he  had  made 
himself  invisible.  —  The  reader  has  now  both  versions  of  the  story, 
and  may  make  his  choice.  I  will  only  observe  that  the  sages  of 
the  Alhambra  incline  to  the  diabolical  one. 

This  Henry  de  Villena  flourished  in  the  time  of  Juan  II.,  King 
of  Castile,  of  whom  he  was  uncle.  He  became  famous  for  his 
knowledge  of  the  Natural  Sciences;  and  hence,  in  that  ignorant 
age  was  stigmatized  as  a  necromancer.  Fernan  Perez  de  Guzman, 
in  his  account  of  distinguished  men,  gives  him  credit  for  great 
learning,  but  says  he  devoted  himself  to  the  arts  of  divination,  the 
interpretation  of  dreams,  of  signs,  and  portents. 

At  the  death  of  Villena,  his  library  fell  into  the  hands  of  the 
King,  who  was  warned  that  it  contained  books  treating  of  magic, 
and  not  proper  to  be  read.  King  Juan  ordered  that  they  should 
be  transported  in  carts  to  the  residence  of  a  reverend  prelate  to 
be  examined.  The  prelate  was  less  learned  than  devout.  Some  of 
the  books  treated  of  mathematics,  others  of  astronomy,  with  fig 
ures  and  diagrams,  and  planetary  signs;  others  of  chemistry  or 
alchemy,  with  foreign  and  mystic  words.  All  these  were  necro 
mancy  in  the  eyes  of  the  pious  prelate,  and  the  books  were  con 
signed  to  the  flames,  like  the  library  of  Don  Quixote. 


372  THE  ALHAMBRA 

THE  SEAL  OF  SOLOMON. — The  device  consists  of  two  equi 
lateral  triangles,  interlaced  so  as  to  form  a  star,  and  surrounded 
by  a  circle.  According  to  Arab  tradition,  when  the  Most  High 
gave  Solomon  the  choice  of  blessings,  and  he  chose  wisdom,  there 
came  from  heaven  a  ring,  on  which  this  device  was  engraven. 
This  mystic  talisman  was  the  arcanum  of  his  wisdom,  felicity,  and 
grandeur,  by  this  he  governed  and  prospered.  In  consequence  of 
a  temporary  lapse  from  virtue  he  lost  the  ring  in  the  sea,  and  was 
at  once  reduced  to  the  level  of  ordinary  men.  By  penitence  and 
prayer  he  made  his  peace  with  the  Deity,  was  permitted  to  find 
his  ring  again  in  the  belly  of  a  fish,  and  thus  recovered  his  celes 
tial  gifts.  That  he  might  not  utterly  lose  them  again,  he  commu 
nicated  to  others  the  secret  of  the  marvellous  ring. 

This  symbolical  seal  we  are  told  was  sacrilegiously  used  by  the 
Mahometan  infidels;  and  before  them  by  the  Arabian  idolaters, 
and  before  them  by  the  Hebrews,  for  "  diabolical  enterprises  and 
abominable  superstitions."  Those  who  wish  to  be  more  thoroughly 
informed  on  the  subject,  will  do  well  to  consult  the  learned  Father 
Athanasius  Kirker's  treatise  on  the  Cabala  Sarracenica. 

A  word  more  to  the  curious  reader.  There  are  many  persons 
in  these  skeptical  times  who  affect  to  deride  everything  connected 
with  the  occult  sciences,  or  black  art;  who  have  no  faith  in  the 
efficacy  of  conjurations,  incantations,  or  divinations;  and  who 
stoutly  contend  that  such  things  never  had  existence.  To  such  de 
termined  unbelievers  the  testimony  of  past  ages  is  as  nothing; 
they  require  the  evidence  of  their  own  senses,  and  deny  that  such 
arts  and  practices  have  prevailed  in  days  of  yore,  simply  because 
they  meet  with  no  instance  of  them  in  the  present  day.  They  can 
not  perceive  that,  as  the  world  became  versed  in  the  natural  sci 
ences,  the  supernatural  became  superfluous  and  fell  into  disuse; 
and  that  the  hardy  inventions  of  art  superseded  the  mysteries  of 
man.  Still,  say  the  enlightened  few,  those  mystic  powers  exist, 
though  in  a  latent  state,  and  untasked  by  the  ingenuity  9f  man. 
A  talisman  is  still  a  talisman,  possessing  all  its  indwelling  and 
awful  properties ;  though  it  may  have  lain  dormant  for  ages  at 
the  bottom  of  the  sea,  or  in  the  dusty  cabinet  of  the  antiquary. 

The  signet  of  Solomon  the  Wise,  for  instance,  is  well  known 
to  have  held  potent  control  over  genii,  demons,  and  enchantments ; 
now  who  will  positively  assert  that  the  same  mystic  signet,  wher 
ever  it  may  exist,  does  not  at  the  present  moment  possess  the  same 
marvellous  virtues  which  distinguished  it  in  the  olden  time?  Let 
those  who  doubt  repair  to  Salamanca,  delve  into  the  cave  of  San 
Cyprian,  explore  its  hidden  secrets,  and  decide.  As  to  those  who 
will  not  be  at  the  pains  of  such  investigation,  let  them  substitute 
faith  for  incredulity,  and  receive  with  honest  credence  the  fore 
going  legend. 


FAREWELL  TO  GRANADA  373 


THE   AUTHOR'S   FAREWELL  TO 
GRANADA 

MY  serene  and  happy  reign  in  the  Alhambra  was  sud 
denly  brought  to  a  close  by  letters  which  reached  me, 
while  indulging  in  Oriental  luxury  in  the  cool  hall  of 
the  baths,  summoning  me  away  from  my  Moslem  ely- 
sium,  to  mingle  once  more  in  the  bustle  and  business 
of  the  dusty  world.  How  was  I  to  encounter  its  toils 
and  turmoils,  after  such  a  life  of  repose  and  reverie! 
How  was  I  to  endure  its  commonplace,  after  the  poetry 
of  the  Alhambra ! 

But  little  preparation  was  necessary  for  my  de 
parture.  A  two-wheeled  vehicle,  called  a  tartana,  very 
much  resembling  a  covered  cart,  was  to  be  the  travel 
ling  equipage  of  a  young  Englishman  and  myself 
through  Murcia,  to  Alicant  and  Valencia,  on  our  way 
to  France;  and  a  long-limbed  varlet,  who  had  been 
a  contrabandista,  and,  for  aught  I  knew,  a  robber, 
was  to  be  our  guide  and  guard.  The  preparations 
were  soon  made,  but  the  departure  was  the  difficulty. 
Day  after  day  was  it  postponed;  day  after  day  was 
spent  in  lingering  about  my  favorite  haunts,  and  day 
after  day  they  appeared  more  delightful  in  my  eyes. 

The  social  and  domestic  little  world  also,  in  which 
I  had  been  moving,  had  become  singularly  endeared 
to  me ;  and  the  concern  evinced  by  them  at  my  intended 
departure,  convinced  me  that  my  kind  feelings  were 
reciprocated.  Indeed,  when  at  length  the  day  arrived, 
I  did  not  dare  venture  upon  a  leave-taking  at  the  good 
Dame  Antonia's ;  I  saw  the  soft  heart  of  little  Dolores, 
at  least,  was  brim  full  and  ready  for  an  overflow.  So 
I  bade  a  silent  adieu  to  the  palace  and  its  inmates,  and 


374  THE  ALHAMBRA 

descended  into  the  city  as  if  intending  to  return. 
There,  however,  the  tartana  and  the  guide  were  ready; 
so,  after  taking  a  noonday's  repast  with  my  fellow- 
traveller  at  the  Posada,  I  set  out  with  him  on  our 
journey. 

Humble  was  the  cortege  and  melancholy  the  de 
parture  of  El  Rey  Chico  the  second!  Manuel,  the 
nephew  of  Tia  Antonia,  Mateo,  my  officious  but  now 
disconsolate  squire,  and  two  or  three  old  invalids  of 
the  Alhambra  with  whom  I  had  grown  into  gossiping 
companionship,  had  come  down  to  see  me  off;  for  it 
is  one  of  the  good  old  customs  of  Spain,  to  sally  forth 
several  miles  to  meet  a  coming  friend,  and  to  accom 
pany  him  as  far  on  his  departure.  Thus  then  we  set 
out,  our  long-legged  guard  striding  ahead,  with  his 
escopeta  on  his  shoulder;  Manuel  and  Mateo  on  each 
side  of  the  tartana,  and  the  old  invalids  behind. 

At  some  little  distance  to  the  north  of  Granada,  the 
road  gradually  ascends  the  hills;  here  I  alighted  and 
walked  up  slowly  with  Manuel,  who  took  this  occasion 
to  confide  to  me  the  secret  of  his  heart  and  of  all  those 
tender  concerns  between  himself  and  Dolores,  with 
which  I  had  been  already  informed  by  the  all-knowing 
and  all-revealing  Mateo  Ximenes.  His  doctor's  di 
ploma  had  prepared  the  way  for  their  union,  and 
nothing  more  was  wranting  but  the  dispensation  of  the 
Pope,  on  account  of  their  consanguinity.  Then,  if  he 
could  get  the  post  of  Medico  of  the  fortress,  his  happi 
ness  would  be  complete !  I  congratulated  him  on  the 
judgment  and  good  taste  he  had  shown  in  his  choice 
of  a  helpmate;  invoked  all  possible  felicity  on  their 
union,  and  trusted  that  the  abundant  affections  of  the 
kind-hearted  little  Dolores  would  in  time  have  more 
stable  objects  to  occupy  them  than  recreant  cats  and 
truant  pigeons. 

It  was  indeed  a  sorrowful  parting  when  I  took  leave 
of  these  good  people  and  saw  them  slowly  descend  the 


FAREWELL  TO  GRANADA  375 

hills ;  now  and  then  turning  round  to  wave  me  a  last 
adieu.  Manuel,  it  is  true,  had  cheerful  prospects  to 
console  him,  but  poor  Mateo  seemed  perfectly  cast 
down.  It  was  to  him  a  grievous  fall  from  the  station 
of  prime  minister  and  historiographer,  to  his  old  brown 
cloak  and  his  starveling  mystery  of  ribbon-weaving; 
and  the  poor  devil,  notwithstanding  his  occasional  offi- 
ciousness,  had,  somehow  or  other,  acquired  a  stronger 
hold  on  my  sympathies  than  I  was  aware  of.  It  would 
have  really  been  a  consolation  in  parting,  could  I  have 
anticipated  the  good  fortune  in  store  for  him,  and  to 
which  I  had  contributed ;  for  the  importance  I  had 
appeared  to  give  to  his  tales  and  gossip  and  local 
knowledge,  and  the  frequent  companionship  in  which 
I  had  indulged  him  in  the  course  of  my  strolls,  had 
elevated  his  idea  of  his  own  qualifications  and  opened 
a  new  career  to  him ;  and  the  son  of  the  Alhambra  has 
since  become  its  regular  and  well-paid  cicerone;  inso 
much  that  I  am  told  he  has  never  been  obliged  to  re 
sume  the  ragged  old  brown  cloak  in  which  I  first  found 
him. 

Towards  sunset  I  came  to  where  the  road  wound 
into  the  mountains,  and  here  I  paused  to  take  a  last 
look  at  Granada.  The  hill  on  which  I  stood  com 
manded  a  glorious  view  of  the  city,  the  Vega,  and  the 
surrounding  mountains.  It  was  at  an  opposite  point 
of  the  compass  from  La  cuesta  de  las  lagrimas  (the 
hill  of  tears)  noted  for  the  "  last  sigh  of  the  Moor." 
I  now  could  realize  something  of  the  feelings  of  poor 
Boabdil  when  he  bade  adieu  to  the  paradise  he  was 
leaving  behind,  and  beheld  before  him  a  rugged  and 
sterile  road  conducting  him  to  exile. 

The  setting  sun  as  usual  shed  a  melancholy  efful 
gence  on  the  ruddy  towers  of  the  Alhambra.  I  could 
faintly  discern  the  balconied  window  of  the  Tower  of 
Comares,  where  I  had  indulged  in  so  many  delightful 
reveries.  The  bosky  groves  and  gardens  about  the 


376  THE  ALHAMBRA 

city  were  richly  gilded  with  the  sunshine,  the  purple 
haze  of  a  summer  evening  was  gathering  over  the 
Vega;  everything  was  lovely,  but  tenderly  and  sadly 
so,  to  my  parting  gaze. 

"  I  will  hasten  from  this  prospect,"  thought  I,  "  be 
fore  the  sun  is  set.  I  will  carry  away  a  recollection  of 
it  clothed  in  all  its  beauty." 

With  these  thoughts  I  pursued  my  way  among  the 
mountains.  A  little  further  and  Granada,  the  Vega, 
and  the  Alhambra  were  shut  from  my  view ;  and  thus 
ended  one  of  the  pleasantest  dreams  of  a  life,  which 
the  reader  perhaps  may  think  has  been  but  too  much 
made  up  of  dreams. 


THE   END 


A     000  160  600     3 


A* 


